In a major milestone, homegrown consumer tech brand Boat has partnered with Bengaluru-based semiconductor startup HrdWyr to launch the Indus 1011 chipset. This is India's first indigenously designed chipset for audio devices, particularly TWS earbuds.
The Indus 1011 is said to be a microcontroller-class system-on-chipset (SoC) developed entirely in India. According to the brand, this chipset is equipped with intelligent battery management capabilities that will be deployed in Boat's next generation of premium Nirvana series TWS earbuds.
Unlike earlier products that relied on international suppliers, Boat says this chipset marks the first time it's integrating a fully Indian-designed silicon solution. Manufacturing, assembly and testing of the new chipset will be handled domestically by Tata Electronics in India.
Boat co-founder and CEO Sameer Mehta called the partnership a significant leap towards reducing dependency on foreign silicon makers.
boAt has consistently backed the Make in India vision. We have always believed in pushing the boundaries of innovation to deliver world-class products. By taking the first-mover step to collaborate with HrdWyr at the semiconductor level, we are demonstrating that India’s consumer brands can be ecosystem enablers. We are proud to show that true product differentiation comes from innovation at the chip level, and this can be achieved right here in India.
— Sameer Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, Boat
Meanwhile, HrdWyr co-founder and CEO Ramamurthy Sivakumar added that the launch showcases India's potential to compete globally in advanced chipset designing.
Semiconductors and AI are the foundation of all modern economies. Strategic autonomy in semiconductor innovation and supply chain is an imperative for large economies like India. Fabless product companies like HrdWyr are critical to achieving this goal, eventually taking Indian innovation to the world. This milestone proves that India can innovate at the deepest levels of technology – semiconductor product design and IP creation. With boAt’s bold trust in a homegrown chip and Tata Electronics’ manufacturing capabilities, we are showing that India’s semiconductor ecosystem is ready for global scale.
— Ramamurthy Sivakumar, Co-founder and CEO, HrdWyr
Boat aims to roll out prototype earbuds featuring the Indus 1011 by December 2025. A wider commercial rollout is expected sometime around mid-2026. By next year, the company plans to use the chipset in at least 25% of its products, with a focus on premium offerings.
The move aligns with the government's Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and India Semiconductor Mission initiatives. This collaboration will let Boat not just enter the next stage of product innovation but also help the country get closer towards making its own semiconductors.
