Qualcomm is setting its sights on India as a crucial market for the advancement of on-device agentic AI. Sumit Sonal, Head of Marketing at Qualcomm, shared the company's ambitious vision at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, emphasizing a shift from reactive to proactive artificial intelligence directly on consumer devices.
New Snapdragon Chipsets Power AI Expansion
At IMC 2026, Qualcomm unveiled its latest flagship smartphone chipsets: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. This 'dual flagship' strategy caters to diverse premium smartphone users. Sonal explained that these chips are designed to bring enterprise-grade processing and cutting-edge AI capabilities to Indian consumers.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6: Optimized for users prioritizing strong performance, battery life, and a robust overall experience.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6: Tailored for early adopters seeking the most advanced features, including full agentic AI experiences, superior cameras, and powerful gaming.
The Extreme version boasts the ability to run 30-billion-parameter large language models (LLMs) directly on the device. This local processing offers significant advantages for the Indian market:
- No Internet Requirement: Functionality remains robust even without a stable internet connection.
- Faster Performance: On-device processing reduces latency and speeds up AI tasks.
- Enhanced Privacy: User data remains secure on the device, as it doesn't leave the phone for cloud processing.
Agentic AI: The Shift to Proactive Assistance
Sonal highlighted that AI agents running on smartphones represent the 'biggest change' in the AI landscape. These agents will handle a wide range of tasks, from mundane to complex, without manual effort. "We are moving from the reactive era of AI into the proactive era of AI," Sonal stated, offering an example of an agent planning an entire travel itinerary and schedule.
Key Use Cases for India
Qualcomm identifies three primary use cases expected to drive the initial adoption wave of agentic AI in India:
- Agentic Commerce: Facilitating smart shopping experiences, building on partnerships like Qualcomm's collaboration with Mastercard.
- Travel Planning: Automating itinerary creation, bookings, and logistical arrangements.
- Productivity: Streamlining daily schedules, task management, and other organizational activities.
Mass-Market Rollout and India's Potential
While agentic AI will initially debut on flagship devices, Sonal predicts that these capabilities will trickle down to more affordable phones within the next three to five years. The strategy involves refining the technology on premium devices before expanding it to mid-premium and then lower-tier segments. "In the next 3 to 5 years, we want to bring agentic AI into more and more phones so that the entire world can experience what the agents can do for you," he affirmed.
Qualcomm is highly optimistic about India's role in accelerating agentic AI adoption. Sonal emphasized India's technologically aware consumer base and its vast potential for scaling new digital services. He stressed that educating consumers and building trust will be crucial for widespread acceptance, with Qualcomm actively working with OEM partners like Motorola to introduce these solutions.
Supporting AI Guidelines
Addressing the global discussion on AI regulation, Sonal expressed Qualcomm's support for guidelines governing AI development. He believes clear regulations are vital for fostering trust in the Indian ecosystem and enabling companies like Qualcomm to create more reliable products. "I think it is in India's interest to put guidelines," he concluded, acknowledging that the ecosystem's full maturity is still a year or two away.