Chandigarh, Aug 11: Samsung India has highlighted the growing contribution of its research and development (R&D) centres in Noida and Bengaluru in the evolution of Galaxy AI, with locally-developed innovations increasingly becoming part of the company’s global AI roadmap.
Following the successful launch of the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8, Samsung said its engineers in India are developing AI experiences built around the needs of Indian consumers. The company said insights generated through its Indian R&D centres are helping shape Galaxy AI features, underscoring India’s growing strategic role in Samsung’s global innovation network.
JB Park, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, said Samsung’s engineers in India are focused on understanding how consumers use technology in their daily lives and translating those insights into practical AI experiences. “By understanding how Indian consumers interact with technology, we identify opportunities to enhance their lifestyles, whether in financial management, smart home control or health alerts for the elderly. Those insights are being transformed into practical solutions that enrich everyday experiences,” he said.
One example is Pay Now, a new feature within ‘Now Brief’ that debuted on Samsung’s latest foldable smartphones and will be available exclusively to Indian consumers. Developed by engineers in Samsung’s India R&D centres, the feature reminds users about upcoming bill payments and enables timely payments through Samsung Wallet.
Park said the feature reflects the growing influence of Samsung’s Indian engineering teams on the evolution of Galaxy AI: “Our R&D centres in Noida and Bengaluru have played a significant role in the launch and evolution of Galaxy AI. This includes developing innovations based on the unique needs of Indian consumers.”
Samsung said its long-term investment in India extends beyond product development. The company continues to collaborate with leading academic institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), and startups to strengthen AI research while expanding its intellectual property portfolio.
Park said Samsung’s priority is not simply to expand its engineering workforce, but to create original technologies from India. “We have partnerships with reputed institutes such as the IITs as well as multiple startups. But more important than expanding our workforce is expanding our intellectual property. Any new technology that originates from India is especially important, and we believe the engineers in our R&D centres have that capability,” he added.
He said India’s engineering talent would continue to play a central role in Samsung’s global innovation efforts. “India has one of the best engineering talent pools in the world, and we are very fortunate to have our two R&D centres here.”
Park said AI adoption in India already exceeds the global average. India’s growing influence on Galaxy AI comes as consumers across the country rapidly embrace artificial intelligence. “Indian consumers rank much higher in terms of AI adoption than the global average. Young Indian consumers are tech-savvy and like to explore technologies that are not yet widely available to others,” he added.
That growing familiarity with AI is also reshaping India’s premium smartphone market. Samsung said demand for flagship smartphones is expanding well beyond metropolitan cities, with Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets now accounting for nearly two-thirds of its flagship sales.
“We sell almost 65% of our flagship devices in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. Flagship sales are no longer limited to Tier 1 cities or the top 10 metros. We have seen this market growing in double digits, much faster than metros.”
The company also attributed that growth to its nationwide retail network and continued investment in consumer education. Samsung said it reaches customers across 18000 postal codes through its online channels and more than 80000 retail outlets, supported by around 20000 in-store promoters. Park said consumers outside the largest cities are embracing premium technology more quickly once they experience it. “Once these customers experience new technology and a new environment, the transition rate is much faster. That’s how we are focusing on expanding the rural market.”
Samsung believes that shift will also accelerate the adoption of foldable smartphones. Park said Samsung’s latest foldables represent years of continuous refinement, with improvements in durability and user experience helping the category move into the mainstream. “Our foldables are now in the eighth generation. When we first introduced them, foldables were not even known to consumers. Today, more than 20% of our flagship sales come from foldables, and that share continues to grow year by year.”
He said consumers are increasingly choosing devices based on the experiences they deliver rather than their form factor. “Foldables bring a different experience, and we want to approach consumers based on their needs. Whether they choose a bar-type smartphone or a foldable depends on the experience they are looking for. I expect the consumer base transitioning to the new form factor will continue to expand.”
Samsung said the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 represent its vision of combining advanced hardware with Galaxy AI, while reinforcing India’s growing contribution to the next generation of AI experiences.
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