Hyderabad-based WiSig Networks and US satellite operator Viasat are evaluating a Made-in-India NB-IoT non-terrestrial network chipset and module, with hardware now in testing at Viasat's UK labs. The 3GPP Release 17-compliant design targets satellite IoT connectivity for remote assets in agriculture, logistics, mining and maritime sectors. WiSig, backed by DLI scheme support, employs over 50 PhD-level researchers and is also seeking ₹200 crore for further scale-up.
Semicon Hunt -> partnership -> WiSig Networks
2026-07-09
WiSig Networks, a Hyderabad-based semiconductor startup, and Viasat, the US-headquartered global satellite communications company, are jointly testing a Made-in-India narrowband IoT non-terrestrial network (NB-IoT NTN) chipset and module, with the hardware currently in evaluation at Viasat's laboratories in the United Kingdom. The chipset is designed to the 3GPP Release 17 specification for satellite IoT, which defines the protocols for connecting low-power IoT devices directly to satellite networks without requiring terrestrial cellular base station coverage, a capability with significant commercial potential for applications in remote geographies and maritime sectors.
India has hundreds of millions of connected devices deployed or planned for deployment in agriculture, supply chain logistics, mining operations, fishing fleets and remote infrastructure monitoring, but terrestrial cellular coverage does not reach many of the geographic areas where these applications are most needed. Satellite IoT, using the NB-IoT NTN standard ratified in 3GPP Release 17, enables direct-to-satellite connectivity from the same low-power, low-cost IoT chipsets used for terrestrial cellular coverage, dramatically reducing the hardware complexity and cost of extending connectivity to remote assets compared to proprietary satellite IoT solutions.
WiSig Networks employs more than 50 PhD-level researchers specialising in signal processing, wireless communications and VLSI design, an unusually deep technical team for an Indian semiconductor startup at this stage. The company has contributed to early silicon implementations of several 5G software layers and collaborates with Reliance Jio on 5G baseband processing technology, giving it a track record with domestic telecom operators alongside the Viasat international partnership.
WiSig is supported under the Design Linked Incentive scheme, which has provided EDA tool access and government grants that have enabled the company to sustain a large research team through its pre-revenue phase. The company is now seeking approximately ₹200 crore in additional funding to scale its product engineering capacity, accelerate commercialisation of the satellite IoT chipset, and expand its 5G baseband product line. The Viasat partnership provides a strong commercial reference that is expected to support WiSig's fundraising narrative with institutional investors evaluating India's semiconductor startup ecosystem.
3GPP Release 17 NB-IoT NTN is a new chipset category that has attracted limited development activity outside of a small number of established semiconductor companies. WiSig's early entry into this market, validated by the Viasat evaluation engagement, positions it to be among the first non-legacy suppliers with a proven NTN chipset, a competitive window that could translate into significant design-win activity if satellite IoT adoption accelerates in line with LEO constellation buildout timelines from operators including Viasat, Starlink, OneWeb and others.
The Viasat partnership is significant for India's semiconductor narrative because it demonstrates that a domestically designed chip by an Indian fabless startup is credible enough for evaluation by a major international satellite operator, a bar that goes beyond certification and academic recognition to actual commercial due diligence. If the Viasat evaluation results in a commercial design win, WiSig would become one of the very few Indian semiconductor companies with a globally distributed customer base for an indigenously designed product.
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