Impact of an Indigenous IoT-ready 28nm MCU on the Indian Gadget Space

In an exclusive interview with Dataquest, Shashwath T R, Co-founder and CEO of Mindgrove Technologies, unveils their revolutionary Secure IoT chip. This chip, designed and built in India, promises to shake up the country's gadget landscape with its focus on long-lasting security. Let's delve deeper and explore how this innovation will redefine our connected devices, from smartwatches to everyday appliances.

Why did you choose a 28nm process for your first chip?

The 28nm node is a “Goldilocks node.” It is old enough to be mature but new enough to offer high performance. It is also easy to design compared to the newer ones, being a bulk silicon (vs FinFET) node. With 28nm, the bulk of features can be added at a very competitive cost. Finally, manufacturing capacity is in excess, meaning we will not easily hit production bottlenecks.

What are the advantages of Secure IoT beyond security?

Secure IoT is ideal for connected devices like smartwatches. But it can also be used in a wide range of devices that are becoming "smart" for the first time, such as smart locks, sockets, TVs, refrigerators, dishwashers, meters, and more. The chip is also well-suited for use in electric two-wheeler Battery Management Systems (BMS) and Vehicle Control Units (VCUs), as well as in automobiles. We're excited to see the creative ways engineers will use our chip.

In which sectors do you see Secure IoT being used?

Can you name some gadgets that will benefit the most with Secure IoT and what additional features the OEM/ODMs can explore with it?

As mentioned previously, Secure IoT can be used in a wide variety of devices. Devices built with Secure IoT are not only more secure, but also significantly more reliable. We are confident that these devices will last much longer than the typical 6-12 months currently seen in the market. This enhanced security and reliability should inspire trust and confidence in our partners.

Could you give us an idea of what your next product will be focused on?

Our next chip is the MG Vision SoC. This chip is designed to process image and video data, making it ideal for camera setups in security systems, vehicles, and other devices.