In a bold move to champion homegrown tech, the Indian government is setting its sights on making NavIC – India’s very own navigation system – a staple in smartphones by 2025. Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, shared that by the start of 2025, all 5G phones should be NavIC-ready, with other phones following suit by year-end.

Incentive for manufacturers? Well, the government is mulling over sweetening the deal. They’re considering offering perks to smartphone makers in the upcoming production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, especially if these manufacturers use NavIC-supporting chips crafted or produced in India.

Chandrasekhar envisions a future in which NavIC chips predominantly power mobile devices. He spotlighted the achievements of Accord, an Indian startup that has designed NavIC chips and proudly produced over a million of them in 28 nanometers.

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What is NavIC? ISRO developed NavIC, which stands tall alongside global navigation giants like the US’s GPS and Russia’s GLONASS. It promises precise positioning and timing services, not just in India but in neighbouring regions too.

Chandrasekhar also emphasised NavIC’s potential in the automotive sector, hinting at its applicability in countries like Japan, Korea, and even Pakistan.

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