The global race for semiconductors and AI dominance is no longer just about faster chips or smarter algorithms. It is now a high-stakes game shaped by geopolitics, energy concerns, and shifting supply chains.
With tensions rising between major economies and data centres consuming increasing amounts of power, countries are rethinking where and how technology gets built.
Manufacturing is moving closer to home, governments are investing heavily in digital infrastructure, and new players are stepping up to shape the next chapter of the tech industry.
In this shift of AI and silicon chips, US-based startup SiMa.ai is leaning heavily into what it sees as the future of global tech manufacturing in India. At the heart of this shift is the company’s simple internal motto–“Bharat All In.”
Founder and CEO Krishna Rangasayee believes the opportunity is ripe. “We really believe India could be the next market maker for the planet. And not only for local consumption, but for global consumption,” he told AIM in a recent exclusive interview.
Silicon Valley to Bengaluru
SiMa.ai builds machine learning systems-on-chip (MLSoC) that power AI at the edge. Unlike its peers, it is not made for the cloud or mobile. Instead, it targets use cases in robotics, industrial automation, aerospace, defence, and autonomous vehicles where edge AI with low energy requirements matters most.
“What differentiates us is that everything can be done on a single chip and software package. We still are the only SoC company out there,” Rangasayee said. But it’s not just about performance. “Power efficiency is key, and we are consistently 10 to 15x of anybody else.”
This edge-focused approach becomes more critical with the looming energy crisis accompanying the AI boom. He mentions that now data centres are consuming almost four to five per cent of the global energy consumption already, and by 2030, that will become eight to ten per cent. “Edge is a much bigger market than data centre, where we cannot imagine AI without power efficiency in everything we touch.”
Rangasayee sees India’s massive population (1.4 billion), growing tech infrastructure, and maturing private sector as a rare confluence of timing, talent, and technology.
He also believes India is at the cusp of a generational change in mindset where the rising generation is willing to take more risks.
In this emerging ecosystem, SiMa.ai is positioning itself not just as a vendor but as a deep partner. “We want to be primary participants and enablers in it. We want to partner with the very best, small companies, big companies, and do our very best to scale AI.”
He adds further to the geographical scene by mentioning how India and the US are tied at the hip.
No to China, Yes to Bharat
While China represents much of the global opportunity for chips and AI, SiMa.ai has consciously opted out. “It’s probably 40 per cent of the global opportunity market, but the reason we consciously chose against it is that it’s a difficult climate.”
Rangasayee explains that geopolitical uncertainty can be fatal for a startup like SiMa.ai. “What you cannot afford at a startup is to try something, put a lot of energy into it, and know that it goes nowhere.”
Instead, the company is doubling down on India. It currently has about 160 employees, half of whom are in India. Rangasayee is amazed at the country’s passion for winning not only within India but on the global stage.
When asked about potential chip fabrication partners within the country, Rangasayee said they are open to partnerships.
Still, the semiconductor challenge is long-term and could be much longer than most assume. He believes that India would serve itself well by partnering with semiconductor leaders globally to bring mainstream semiconductor knowledge expertise into the country.
Open Source, Not Closed Doors
One major driver of Rangasayee’s optimism about India is the potential for open-source AI to thrive there. He believes that IQ is not the monopoly of one nation and that humans are smart everywhere.
Open-source software is rapidly catching up to the capabilities of closed-source software in today’s world, as demonstrated by the recent DeepSeek boom. SiMa.ai sees India’s AI future as inseparable from open-source innovation. “Closed-source will be better at monetising. But open-source will democratise AI—that’s a big shift,” said Rangasayee.
While proprietary models dominate today’s landscape, Rangasayee sees convergence. As for India, he believes that following this track, the government should urge the open-source of AI and that scaling can’t be done with just closed doors.
SiMa.ai has anchored its current success in strong global partnerships with TSMC, Arm, and Synopsys while also keeping an eye on India’s expanding manufacturing capacity.
And yet, even with its eyes on global growth, SiMa.ai is not distracted from its immediate goal. “We’re a startup and we have to take the fight to the biggest, best companies in the world and be better than them every day to earn our customers’ consideration.”
