- 4 weeks ago
On this week's show, we show you how India is becoming a key hub for iPhone manufacturing and how the iPhone 17 series will be made in Ondia. We also give you a look at the Indian drone tech space and combat drones used during operation Sindoor. This and more on Tech Today.
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00:00there was a time when India was only seen as the world's back office writing code for someone
00:21else's future but today the future of tech is being written right here at home from cutting
00:28edge consumer technologies to battlefield innovations India is no longer just catching
00:34up we are actually leading revolutions and today on the tech today show we bring you stories of
00:40Indian pride that will just change the way you guys look at technology the societies and you
00:46are watching the tech today show and let's kick things off with the top tech headlines of the week
00:52Apple has officially scheduled its next big or dropping event for the 9th of September at Apple
01:00Park in Cupertino expect the iPhone 17 lineup possibly including an ultra-thin iPhone 17 air plus the iPhone
01:0817 Pro as well as new Apple watches AirPods Pro 3 and perhaps even a home pod mini 2 as a fresh
01:16dose of Apple innovation lands soon the tech today team will be on ground zero getting you all of the
01:21updates so stay tuned following a tragic teen suicide and related lawsuit open AI is adding
01:32new safety features to chat GPT like parental controls trusted emergency contacts and warnings
01:38during prolonged high-risk chats the updates aim to ground teens in reality and de-escalate crisis
01:45moments these improvements are part of its enhanced GPT 5 version and reflect a growing
01:51focus on responsible AI especially for vulnerable users whatsapp has launched her writing help an AI tool
02:03that helps you rephrase proofread or tweak tone in your messages think professional funny or supportive
02:11text powered by matters processing tech all suggestions stay encrypted and private it's rolling out now in
02:19select regions for English users so say goodbye to message typos and awkward tones
02:30real me just surprised everyone with a concept phone packing a whopping 15,000 mh battery enough for 50 hours of video or 30 hours of gaming
02:40what's cooler it's slim with an 8.9 mm design and comes with an all silicon battery with built-in cooling like a mini AC phone
02:51it's still a prototype so buyers beware but if it ever hits the mass market it could radically change the charging game
03:00I am going to be able to travel to a machine for the future but it's not quite easy to find any more
03:00new re-learning has taken up playing sci-fi story and made it real
03:08Nolan or more paralyzed from the shoulder down became the first human to receive Elon Musk's wireless brain chip
03:15now he can control a computer and even play games using only his thoughts it's a stunning step in brain computer interfaces
03:24though it also raises important ethical and safety questions.
03:54With the iPhone 17, there is a bit of a desi twist that I want to talk about.
04:00Get this, the iPhone 17 series, by the way, is being made right here in India
04:06and that is big for all of the Indians.
04:10But yeah, here's the thing, here on the Tech Today Show,
04:13we are going to be doing a deep dive into the fine print of all of this.
04:18Is the iPhone 17 series really made in India?
04:22Will it be cheaper for Indians if that's the case?
04:25So questions like these is something that we will try to take a look at.
04:28So let's unpack all of this in this segment.
04:37Get this, India right now produces over 40 million iPhones.
04:41With an increase of about $2.5 billion in investment,
04:45it's expected to go up to 60 million units per year.
04:49Foxconn, Apple's biggest manufacturing partner,
04:55has already poured billions into India.
04:59It's massive Devanahali plant to outside Bengaluru is now buzzing with activity.
05:06Tata Electronics has also taken over Western's Karnataka facility
05:10and is expanding into Tamil Nadu.
05:15Together, these two are putting India on the global iPhone map.
05:21And why does Apple choose India for the iPhone 17?
05:24First, the huge domestic market
05:27and second, skilled and cost-effective workforce.
05:31Not to mention that Apple has been trying to stay away from China
05:34amid the rising US-China tension.
05:40Alright, let's talk a little about the manufacturing dynamics here.
05:43Until recently, China made more than 90% of the world's iPhones
05:49and that number is slowly decreasing.
05:51Because today, India contributes around 18% of Apple's iPhone production
05:57and that number, by the way, is expected to touch around 20% by the end of 2025.
06:04And that just speaks volumes of the kind of production capabilities that India has.
06:11And slowly, the picture is changing.
06:14China leads with roughly 75% production.
06:18Countries like Brazil, Vietnam and even the US make up the rest.
06:22So yes, India is still playing catch-up,
06:26but we're catching up fast.
06:30At Cybermedia Research, our insights point to Apple accounting
06:34for close to 70% of the smartphone exports from India in H1 2020 buy
06:40with shipments jumping 24% year-on-year
06:43to markets in Western Europe as well as United States.
06:48So the growing maturity of make in India
06:52augurs well for India's rise in the global electronics value chain.
06:57Now, I want to talk about the big reality check here.
07:00A lot of people get confused.
07:02There is a difference between make and assemble.
07:06India assembles iPhone,
07:08but the parts like display, the processor,
07:11all of these come from the outside.
07:14Like, the chip is made by TSMC, which is made in Taiwan.
07:18The displays, most of it are being made by Samsung, BOE and LG in South Korea and Japan.
07:26The camera, well, still largely from China
07:29with a collaboration between Sony and Apple.
07:33So this is the story.
07:34The components are coming from different parts of the world
07:37and that's how the iPhone, you know, Apple, kind of gets the final product.
07:42India's contributions in making the iPhone components were under 10%
07:47but now have risen, possibly exceeding 20%
07:51thanks to ongoing localization efforts.
07:54In other words, for now, we are putting the puzzle together
07:57but don't have many of the pieces yet.
08:00The most we actually make is PCBs and connectors.
08:07Now, Foxconn's Chinese arm called Yuzan Technology
08:12recently pulled back about 300 Chinese engineers and technicians
08:16from its Tamil Nadu facility.
08:19Now, it's one of the key iPhone assembly sites here in India.
08:22Now, why did the Chinese do that?
08:24Because industry watchers are saying
08:26that this is Beijing's way of slowing down India's rise
08:30in the Apple's supply chain
08:32and that is basically strategy to make sure India doesn't produce
08:36at the capacity that is required.
08:38Now, this is a reminder
08:39that making an iPhone isn't just about the technology.
08:43It's also about geopolitics here.
08:46So even if they have to create some hurdles
08:48so I think one thing what we need to look into is the currency.
08:52If the Chinese currency becomes more attractive
08:55then the debt, disabilities becomes even more
08:57the gap becomes even more higher.
09:01So that is one because we still need to import a lot of components
09:06from China and dependency is still there.
09:09What we need to do is to create a local IP
09:12and knowledge transfer from some of these countries
09:14like China, Korea, Japan, or Taiwan
09:17and see how we can build our local tech
09:20or even some joint ventures
09:21what we have started to see with some countries.
09:26But here's the good news.
09:28Apple's bet on India isn't just about factories.
09:31It's about the bigger picture.
09:33Two new Apple stores are opening
09:35one in Bengaluru and one in Pune.
09:39Thousands of jobs are being created
09:41at Foxconn and Tata plants
09:42and India's tech manufacturing credibility
09:45is getting a global upgrade.
09:48For a country that was only a smartphone consumer
09:51until recently, this is a big leap.
09:55Now let's answer the question
09:57that is on everyone's mind.
10:00If the iPhone is truly made in India
10:03why does it still cost more than
10:06what people are paying in the United States?
10:10And then there is the Trump twist.
10:13The US president has been vocal
10:15about wanting Apple to make iPhones in America.
10:19But here's the catch.
10:22Experts say that if iPhones were made entirely in the US
10:26prices could jump up by 20-30%.
10:29That means your shiny iPhone
10:31could easily cross the 2 lakh mark.
10:34Would you buy it then?
10:35So here's the bottom line.
10:39Expect the iPhone series
10:41to look something like what you see behind me.
10:43But the iPhone 17
10:44isn't just another phone.
10:46It's proved that India
10:48is no longer just a market for Apple
10:52but is really a player
10:54in its global supply chain.
10:57And remember, we are not fully there yet.
10:59India still needs to catch up a little
11:01because the chips, the displays,
11:03everything is still imported
11:05and we are assembling.
11:06But the foundation, I would say, is set.
11:15Our next story is about India's pride.
11:18Operation Sindhoor
11:19where Indian drones powered by startups in India
11:23are showing the world
11:24just how far homegrown technology has come.
11:27Now, Operation Sindhoor showcases
11:29India's might in aerial defense technology
11:32and a part of that is being fueled
11:35by Indian startups and the entire ecosystem.
11:38So today on the show,
11:40we will show you some of the drone tech
11:42that is being used right now in combat
11:44and what are the capabilities they have
11:46and how are Indian startups
11:48and the entire ecosystem
11:50really pushing boundaries in this sector
11:52and keeping the country safe.
11:57India's next generation of warfare
12:04is being shaped not by tanks or fighter jets
12:07but by drones.
12:09A new breed of Indian defense startups
12:11is building everything from swarm drones
12:14to high-end surveillance UAVs,
12:16many designed to counter hostile drones head-on.
12:22Powered by government backing
12:24of around 1-2 crores per project
12:26through grants by Innovation for Defense Excellence
12:29and the Atmanirbhar push,
12:32these homegrown innovations
12:33are now moving from prototypes
12:35to real-world battlefields
12:37and redefining how India fights
12:39and secures its borders.
12:40Take for instance the FPV-7 by IG Drones,
12:50which has a cruise speed of 140 kmph
12:54and a range of 4 km.
12:56It can also carry a payload of up to 1 kg,
12:59which could be supplies or even an explosive.
13:02Its low-noise signature and mounted camera
13:05let it slip quietly into enemy territory,
13:08scout, strike and return,
13:11the kind of innovation designed for modern warfare.
13:13In the combat role,
13:22we use small drones,
13:23which is called the Kamakhaji drones.
13:25And a target which is there,
13:27I say, 1 km,
13:29which is small targets,
13:31like it could be a radar station,
13:32it could be a gun position,
13:34it could be a bunker,
13:36it could be a petrol fuel dump,
13:39but with petrol oil and lubricant dump,
13:41so it destroys that.
13:43And that cripples the enemy capability
13:46of launching any attack.
13:48Also, in Operation Sindor,
13:50we used as an observation post
13:52for the firings which were taking place,
13:55that is called particularly for the artillery,
13:57you know that the fireings were taking place.
14:01In small quantity also,
14:03it was used for the logistic operations.
14:07The company also manufactures heavier drones
14:10like the Jaga XL,
14:12which can carry up to 2 kilos
14:13and fly up to 50 minutes.
14:16Drones like these aren't just for combat.
14:19They're the eyes in the sky,
14:21scanning from higher altitudes
14:23with thermal cameras and sensors,
14:25ready to track, follow and strike if needed.
14:29They come equipped with multiple sensors,
14:31allowing these drones to hover,
14:33go to specific waypoints at 50 kilometers an hour,
14:35and can even be controlled manually.
14:41Besides these,
14:42there are heavier drones
14:44to resupply troops at higher altitudes
14:46as they can carry heavier payloads
14:48of up to 80 kilos.
14:50That's almost like carrying a soldier's full kit.
14:53And then there's the next frontier,
15:02solar-powered drones like the Tejas-1.
15:06Built for endurance,
15:07this fixed-wing UAV can fly longer,
15:10farther and cleaner,
15:12all on sunlight.
15:14These can be used by the Army,
15:16Air Force and even the Navy.
15:18Developed by Maral Aerospace,
15:24Tejas-1 comes with a range of up to 150 kilometers,
15:27but needs at least a 200 meter runway to lift off.
15:38Since it's powered by the sun,
15:41it can go longer distances for longer durations.
15:45The payload can carry high-resolution cameras
15:47for reconnaissance missions,
15:49environmental monitoring,
15:50and even disaster response.
15:52For communication with ground stations
15:54and other aerial vehicles,
15:56it uses these ground antennas.
16:00So what it can do,
16:01it can be behind at a certain altitude
16:03and can provide line-of-sight communication
16:06to the drones operating in the front region.
16:08So that's how it can be used in the combat side also.
16:11So with its payload,
16:12electronic,
16:13you can say electro-optical payload
16:14or IR or LRF
16:15or even EW payloads,
16:17it can support,
16:18it can do effective surveillance of the enemy area
16:21and give that inputs to our forces
16:23so that they can take corrective actions.
16:27And then there are other players like Aerosys,
16:30which are also making kamikaze drones
16:32and advanced quadcopters
16:34that can carry explosives
16:35and drop them in enemy territory.
16:42Each of these drones has been made in India,
16:44which also gives a push to the indigenous industry.
16:48However,
16:48these startups have many challenges
16:50they need to overcome
16:52to deliver the best technologies.
16:54Many of these technologies require huge investment
16:58which at times may not be available.
17:02Although government these days
17:03is a lot more generous
17:07in terms of providing funding,
17:08but then
17:09a lot of this funding
17:14actually needs to come from the private sector.
17:17Because as a private investor,
17:18if I am spending,
17:20investing my money,
17:21then I will make sure
17:22that this entity succeeds
17:24because otherwise I lose my money.
17:26So I will ensure
17:27that whatever expertise is required
17:30for that startup
17:31is available.
17:32There is no denying the fact
17:34that in future warfare
17:35drone will be in the front line.
17:38That is why
17:38having recognized that
17:40Indian Army
17:41has taken a lot of steps.
17:42One is that
17:44they have identified
17:46that within the
17:48restructuring proposal
17:50they will have drone
17:51specialized companies,
17:54drone specialized units,
17:56drone specialized brigades.
17:57And then the Army
17:58is creating that positive scenario
18:01so that millions of drones
18:03can be manufactured in India
18:04just like the Ukraine
18:06or the Southern Korea
18:07or many other countries
18:08are manufacturing today.
18:11And there is the obvious push
18:13that needs to come
18:14from the government
18:15to promote the development
18:17of local talent
18:18and technologies.
18:27Now this is really
18:28an inspiring story
18:30of the Indian drone
18:31startup ecosystem
18:31that we really, really
18:33enjoyed bringing to you.
18:35So here's the thing.
18:36I was recently
18:37recording a video link
18:39but I wanted to experiment
18:40a little with it.
18:41So I used an AI tool
18:44to change the camera angle
18:45and not only that,
18:46I put myself
18:48in the recording
18:49when I was sitting
18:50in a jungle
18:50and doing it.
18:51And if that wasn't enough,
18:53I tried putting myself
18:54in a, you know,
18:55a space exploration
18:57kind of a scenario
18:58and even changed
18:59the camera angles.
19:00I was doing all of this.
19:01Now, yes,
19:03my face did come out
19:05looking like a piece of clay
19:06and it wasn't really accurate.
19:08But imagine what you can do
19:10with AI
19:10if results like these
19:12can get more accurate.
19:13You can change environments,
19:14you can actually change
19:15the camera angle,
19:16the lighting,
19:17everything.
19:17So all of this
19:18was done, by the way,
19:20using an AI tool
19:21called Runway.
19:22So on the AI Guru segment
19:25today,
19:25let me give you a glimpse
19:26of an AI tool
19:27that is completely changing
19:29the way we produce videos
19:31and even edit them.
19:33Check this out.
19:45Runway's Alif
19:46gives anyone
19:47a full-blown video studio
19:49in their browser.
19:52You can turn plain text prompts
19:57or even rough images
19:58and clips
19:59into high-quality videos.
20:03You can ask it
20:04for cinematic shots,
20:06cartoon-style edits
20:08or even ultra-realistic renders.
20:14Some of the tools
20:21allow you to animate
20:22only specific parts
20:24of a scene.
20:28The OnePlus Pad 3
20:30is finally here.
20:36Instantly removes backgrounds
20:38without needing
20:39a single chroma key wall
20:41and multi-frame generation
20:43where you can create sequences
20:45from another virtual camera
20:47that actually flow.
20:49So here's the thing.
20:49There are a lot of people
20:50out there.
20:51Instead of those awkward
20:52three-second AI clips
20:54we used to get.
20:55While there are many inaccuracies
20:57in terms of the quality,
20:59natural movements,
21:00the models can get better
21:01with time.
21:03An interesting part
21:04about using software
21:06like this,
21:06it's all about experimentation,
21:08how good you can be
21:09with your prompts,
21:10how creative you can be
21:12in terms of the camera angles
21:13and the lighting
21:13that you want to use
21:14while using this software.
21:16So you have to be
21:17very, very smart
21:18with the words
21:19that you use to prompt
21:20and then creativity part
21:22can be handled
21:22by the AI.
21:27But here's the real talk.
21:29What does it cost?
21:31And how far can you push it?
21:33A free tier
21:34runway lets you generate
21:36short clips
21:36about four seconds each
21:38at a resolution
21:39of 720p.
21:46Great for experimenting
21:48but not enough
21:49if you're looking
21:50for professional grade output.
21:54With runway standard
21:55or pro,
21:56you can generate clips
21:58up to 18 seconds long.
22:02Increase 1080p resolution.
22:05You also get faster processing,
22:07priority servers
22:08and more credits
22:10for heavy use.
22:12Prices start
22:13at around $12 a month
22:15going up to $28
22:16if you want the full speed.
22:18Now of course,
22:19runway isn't alone.
22:20Adobe is cooking up firefly,
22:22Pika Labs is making waves
22:24and even Stability AI
22:26is testing its own video models.
22:28But runway's
22:30Aleph is ahead right now
22:32because it doesn't just
22:33generate cool-looking visuals,
22:36it delivers editable,
22:38usable video.
22:38Now AI is truly
22:42taking over everything.
22:44It's because of tools
22:45like these
22:46that you are seeing
22:46an explosion
22:47of these AI-generated content
22:49on Instagram
22:50and YouTube.
22:51And who knows,
22:53the better these AI tools get,
22:54you won't be able
22:55to tell the difference
22:56between what is real
22:57and what is not
22:59in the future.
23:00And a little scary
23:01as it is,
23:02but that's what AI
23:03will do
23:04and you need
23:05to prepare for it.
23:06That's a wrap
23:06on this edition
23:07of Tech Today.
23:09And remember,
23:09we will be back next week
23:11with more breakthroughs,
23:12big launches
23:13and all of the trends
23:14that are shaping
23:15your digital future.
23:17Until then,
23:18keep watching Tech Today
23:19and for everything tech,
23:21do visit us.
23:22I'll see you next week.
23:23Take care.
23:34Bye.
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