ADVANCED Micro Devices (AMD), a leading provider of innovative processing solutions, is betting big on the consumer electronics segment. The company is planning to tap the Indian market for offering processing solutions and looking at partnering with original equipment manufacturers like Videocon. It is planning to set up a centre of excellence for design verification in Hyderabad for the consumer electronics segment.

“The growth of digital TV market and hand held devices have thrown open large opportunities in the consumer electronics segment. Our aim is to become the leader in both areas. Besides, in order to take advantage of the convergence of devices, we will be leveraging on our computational capabilities and vice-versa, while developing new process solutions,” said Adrian Hartog, senior vice-president (consumer electronics group), AMD.

The company is working on solutions to facilitate convergence and connectivity between different devices like TV, computer and smart phones. As part of the company’s strategy for the emerging markets, the focus would be to offer low-cost and low-power processing solutions for consumer electronics.

“Consumer electronics segment in India is on a growth trajectory and we are looking at partnering with OEMs in the digital TV segment like Videocon. In fact, we have already adopted this strategy in China and are supplying processing solutions to the OEMs there,” he told ET.

Worldwide, addressable market for hand held devices is estimated to reach $4 billion by 2012, while for digital TV it will be $2 billion. “We already have the largest market share in the digital TV segment. ATI acquisition in 2006 has helped us to gain significant presence in the consumer electronics market,” he told ET.

According to him, the company’s R&D centre in Hyderabad is playing a major role in driving the growth in consumer electronics.

“The facility has centres of excellence for audio technology and design methodologies and about 250 engineers are working on new processing solutions for this segment,” he said. The centre currently is working on some new products for handheld devices and digital TVs.

AMD along with the American India Foundation (AIF) has set up a learning lab in Hyderabad at the Government Girls High School at West Marredpally. It is part of the company’s 50x15 initiative to connect 50% of the world’s population to the Internet by 2015. The lab will provide affordable Internet access to over 450 children of the school.