Electronics Era: How is Kigen helping the digital revolution by making India the world’s fastest-growing digital economy?
Papiya Raipal: Kigen is a fast-growing specialist and disruptor of eSIM technology, recognized globally as a pioneer of technologies that move the trusted SIM into the 21st century for IoT. Kigen understood early on that SIM technology needs to become more affordable, and connectivity must evolve to accommodate trillions of IoT devices into the digital revolution like the one we are experiencing in India. As one of India’s foremost eSIM providers, Kigen works with Indian operators and manufacturers to support the urgent need for secure, robust, affordable eSIM-enabled solutions. With its early successes in sparking Indian eSIM-based smartwatches, smart meters for water and gas, Vehicle Location Tracking for AIS-140, Fixed wireless access (or in tech talk – customer premise equipment, CPE) for seamless wireless connectivity, Kigen believes India has all the elements to support the burgeoning demand of eSIMs with Kigen’s ecosystem and our investment in world-class talent, to support India’s digital economy.
Electronics Era: Explain more about Kigen’s business activities in India and digitalizing India’s rural Economy.
Papiya Raipal: India’s digital economy is poised to reach new heights, presenting a fertile ground for integrating advanced technologies like eSIM. Kigen was initially incubated in Arm, the semiconductor IP giant, for the potential eSIM technology can bring to digitalizing economies. Since becoming an independent company in 2020, Kigen has invested further in its customer excellence headquarters in Noida, with local sales in Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune. Over 30% of Kigen’s employees are based in India.
Furthermore, Kigen’s GSMA-accredited data center in Noida supports Indian companies in accessing global technology locally to build cost-efficient solutions suited to meet the demands of India’s rural economy.
Kigen also brings industry-leading expertise in NB-IoT, LTE, and 5G Low Power Wide Area networks, which makes scaling up possible and affordable and helps bridge the digital divide from farmer and fishing communities who trade with fair pricing through connectivity to essential regulations that bridge rural communities such as the AIS-140 Passenger and vehicle location tracking. They also benefit from mobile internet, affordable laptops, and point-of-sale (POS) terminals with regional language support that provide easier connectivity to rural communities. They all rely on Kigen’s secure and affordable solutions and the connectivity benefits from our MNO partners.
Electronics Era: Which revolutionary services does Kigen provide for 5G Fixed Wireless Access for urban cities and remote villages?
Papiya Raipal: 5G FWA is an exciting technology for many reasons: Not only does it bring fast fiber-like broadband to many homes much quicker than having to lay fiber cables, benefiting consumers who remain unserved by previous generation networks, and it also helps MNOs monetize their 5G investments with new use-cases.
A critical node in the delivery of FWA is Customer Premise Equipment, or CPE, a term used for devices that bridge the “last mile” in delivering 5G networks for businesses or households. Typically, average consumers don’t go and buy CPE on their own, unlike smartphones or some other devices, but it is obtained bundled from telecom operators. In the Indian context, according to independent industry analysts, bringing down the total cost of 5G FWA CPE is integral to 5G broadband adoption, scale, and return on investment for all stakeholders in this price-sensitive segment.
To spur this, Kigen has launched secure, commercial-grade, and GSMA-certified consumer eSIM solutions on the most energy-efficient chipsets on the market so OEMs can innovate for affordable CPE devices. We are also working with telecom operators to support their desire to deliver differentiated 5G FWA experiences, widening the suppliers in the Indian device makers tackling this for the first time.
Electronics Era: What, according to you, are the latest trends in eSIM-enabled smart watches and streaming payment solutions?
Papiya Raipal: Smartwatches with streaming and cellular coverage functionality demand a robust and flexible connectivity solution, making eSIM a natural fit. We are seeing eSIM technology benefiting stand-alone and fully connected smartwatches, freeing consumers from having the wearable tethered to a smartphone.
We expect a wide range of cellular-connected watches to enter the Indian market in 2024. Kigen is focused on simplifying the end-user experience by supporting technologies such as number-sharing, simplified activation, and pre-loaded connectivity. This is driven by convenience, the ability to elect connectivity packages through QR codes, the availability of connectivity options when on the move, and the reduction in smartphone battery drain from tethered devices. Use cases such as making emergency calls directly from the wrist, especially when the phone is not easily accessible, are shaping many battery life and connectivity requirements.
Did you know that eSIMs are soldered into the device for connectivity, saving millions of tonnes of plastic usage? This is also increasingly a factor in how consumers value the sustainability of their chosen technology. Cellular POS terminals with eSIMs are becoming commonplace because of reliability and ease of setup. India lags significantly compared with other BRIC nations in the number of POS terminals per inhabitant, so this is a huge growth market.
Electronics Era: What major trends are you seeing today in the IoT and urban smart energy market?
Papiya Raipal: A big driver in connectivity for smart energy applications is security and the urgent need to modernize how energy supply and demand are managed. With eSIM technology, a utility deploys a smart energy device anywhere within LPWA coverage and registers the meter securely into their application. Utilities benefit from a broader device supply chain choice by using established ubiquitous cellular networks as more off-the-shelf smart energy devices with LPWA connectivity and eSIM technology become available.
Automatic Metering reading (AMR) and Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) are two trends that we see tremendous demand driving eSIM adoption – where the latter allows more dynamic exchange on information. Further, energy data must be secured at the device, in the network, across all exchanges with utilities and users involved in energy or resource management and end users. As a result, we see a greater push for end-to-end data and device security.
Electronics Era: Where do you see technologies such as eSIM evolving in the smart energy market?
Papiya Raipal: The ICRA recently reported that more needs to be done to meet the target of 250 million smart meters to be installed nationwide by 2025. On the device side, partnerships are critical to ensure that the capital cost of these devices and their connectivity through the operating lifespan is reduced through stages of manufacture at scale, installation, and transfer to the AMI service providers. Similarly, partnerships across MNOs are essential for key technology transitions across IoT connectivity of NB-IoT, 4G, and 2G to make it possible for novel payment schemes to be rolled into monthly subscriptions and pass on the convenience benefit to consumers.
eSIM technology plays a role in each stage: with wide-ranging eSIM-enabled metering devices, gateways, and payment terminals with the most energy-efficient technology stack that supports multi-year battery life, reducing replacement truck rolls. With Remote SIM Provisioning Kigen, MNOs, and service utilities both can support regular connectivity adjustments as needed, and for far remote areas, Kigen’s eSIM also enables Skylo’s Non-Terrestrial Network profile, bringing seamless connectivity where terrestrial connectivity is not a given. Kigen takes the reach of eSIM technology further for the smart energy market, allowing applet installed additional end-to-end security with the IoT SAFE standard, suitable for block-chain and decentralized services for energy users.
Electronics Era: Describe your journey as a leading woman in India and what advice would you give to other aspiring women leaders
Papiya Raipal: I began my career as a telecom engineer in one of the leading MNOs in India and worked in telecom and security over 25 years in various leadership roles. I have earned 3 Master’s degree – Master’s in Electronics & Communications from DAVV, M.S. in Software Systems from BITs Pilani & PGDBM from iiAM. The telecom industry has taught me how to empower talented colleagues to drive outstanding customer experience and high-performing technical teams – in India and abroad.
At Kigen, I have been trusted with over 30% of our fantastic talent, in our fastest and one of the most important growth markets. I co-manage the board of Kigen India, sharing it with the CEO of Kigen and am trusted with the company’s regional operations, policy, and decision-making activities. I am rapidly growing a diverse team of ambitious employees to help achieve our company vision and mission.
I would advise, ‘Never give up when things get tough in your life’. There will be setbacks and failures but stay focused on your goals and keep moving forward. You will undoubtedly overcome the difficulties and achieve your career goals. Be conscientious, excel at your job, and take on additional responsibilities. These will help you stand out from the crowd, get noticed, and advance up the career ladder. Be an empathic leader in the leadership and develop people as much as possible. With a great and motivated team, you can achieve great things.’
Electronics Era: What are some of the biggest opportunities for your organization in India?
Papiya Raipal: Kigen believes a stronger indigenous eSIM ecosystem is essential to leapfrog the Made in India drive towards intelligent, resilient, and world-leading digital products and services. To do this, Kigen made it a priority to run a local data center for Remote SIM Provisioning and eUICC services in Noida, certifying it to the rigorous GSMA Secure Accredited Site for UICC – in the fastest time for any other SIM enablement vendor operating in India. Further, Kigen has a business model that is rooted in growing the industry through partnerships. We have made traction with leading Indian operators and with the most innovative device makers and OEMs to drive more affordable, energy efficient products with robust security.
Vehicle location tracking in the AIS-140 compliance and asset tracking driven by a rise in needed better visibility into the movement of people and goods presents a big opportunity for Kigen’s partners through regulatory and government-driven initiatives. Kigen’s Consumer eSIM OS and solutions with easy QR code provisioning are gaining traction in FWA CPE equipment – estimated to represent over half a billion connections in India and direct export markets for India.
We also see that eSIM-enabled consumer devices are directly gaining popularity – be it in eSIM smartwatches, infotainment devices, or in connected accessories for automotive or e-vehicles. We also are bringing our world-leading eSIM-enabled smart metering solutions, which are adopted by 3 out of the top 5 global metering manufacturers, to India. Kigen is steadfastly focused on supporting new entrants in our home-grown market who look to cellular IoT for product innovation – our opportunity is their opportunity!
