For key roles and skill sets, compensation at startups often matches or even exceeds corporate standards, says Shashwath T. R. of Mindgrove Technologies in conversation with Akanksha S Gaur. How is that possible? What makes startups more appealing to professionals than corporates? And what kind of skills do they value most? The answers lie in this insightful discussion.
Q. What are the biggest skill gaps electronics startups face, and do they go beyond technical knowledge?
A. Yes, the gaps extend well beyond technical fundamentals. Startups often struggle to find professionals with mid-level expertise who possess genuine design intuition and the ability to bridge theory with practical implementation. Beyond circuit laws or basic engineering skills, experience in tasks such as chip tape-out, system prototyping, and cross-domain product thinking is difficult to source. We also seek individuals who can blend technical expertise with creativity to bridge chip design to real-world applications. These deficits in mid- and higher-level expertise are often more challenging than addressing entry-level knowledge gaps, which structured training can usually help fill.
Q. How critical are these skill gaps when scaling an electronics startup?
A. These gaps are highly critical because scaling requires much more than individual excellence, it needs cohesive teams that execute reliably under pressure. A shortage of seasoned designers or product thinkers can stall innovation pipelines, slow prototyping, and lead to costly production errors. Additionally, soft skills such as collaboration, adaptability, and cross-functional communication are just as important as technical expertise. In small startup teams, every hire plays a significant role, but retention is a challenge since larger corporations often lure away trained professionals. Therefore, scaling successfully depends not only on closing technical gaps but also on building a strong organisational culture that attracts and retains talent.
Q. What makes an engineering graduate or master’s student stand out to a startup like Mindgrove?
A. Startups value proof of ability over formal credentials. Graduates who have built, shipped, or meaningfully contributed to real projects, such as participating in ‘Tiny Tapeout’ or documenting the full journey from design to deployment, tend to stand out. Strong grounding in computer architecture, combined with a portfolio of practical, hands-on work, carries more weight than coursework alone.
Q. Are there hot domains where demand is currently surging?
A. Yes, demand is rising in AI, IoT, semiconductor design, and embedded systems. However, what makes candidates particularly valuable is flexibility, the ability to apply skills across shifting domains, whether in medical devices or emerging AI hardware.
Q. What experiences and mindset best prepare candidates for startup success?
A. Internships should be immersive, outcome-driven, and ideally last at least a year, ending in a tangible deliverable. What matters is not the label but the depth of engagement and contribution to a project’s success. From our perspective, resilience and a willingness to constantly learn are paramount. Startup roles are deeply unstructured; the best engineers volunteer for discomfort, hop domains, and thrive in a culture “where everyone does everything”. Comfort with ambiguity, eagerness to cross traditional boundaries, and a hunger for continuous growth are indispensable traits.
Q: How do startup compensation and incentives compare to those at large corporations?
A. It’s a misconception that startups universally pay less. For key roles and skill sets, compensation often matches or even exceeds corporate standards and remains highly flexible. Beyond salary, high performers may earn bonuses, stock options (typically vesting over several years), and access to rapid career growth, which is often far faster than what large companies offer. Unique incentives include educational partnerships, such as pursuing an IIT Madras degree while working, continuous learning opportunities, and stock-based rewards designed to strike a balance between growth and well-being. For many, the chance to have a meaningful stake and tangible impact from the start is a major attraction rarely found in corporates.
Q. How do career paths in startups differ fundamentally from corporate roles?
A. Startups offer steeper learning curves and earlier exposure to diverse challenges, including customer-facing roles, often within three years. Salary growth may start modestly, but responsibility, skills, and equity potential increase much faster than in the rigid, siloed pathways typical of large organisations.
Q. How are skill requirements evolving, and what’s being done to bridge the industry–academia gap?
A. The greatest challenge in the coming years will be hiring for cultural fit and adaptability rather than purely technical proficiency. As the Indian government and academia increase investment in R&D, technical gaps are expected to shrink, placing greater emphasis on mindset and learning agility. Collaborations with academia, particularly through partnerships with IIT Madras and immersive student internships, are vital for aligning skill supply with industry demand and ensuring continued relevance in hiring.
Q. Why computer vision chips, and how does Mindgrove differ from global rivals?
A. With backgrounds in both electronics and computer vision, we recognised early the limitations of imported chips in India—they are either stripped down (camera-only) or overkill (expensive, high-end processors). Mindgrove’s innovation lies in creating a middle ground: affordable chips that tightly integrate camera input and processing, tailored for Indian conditions. By excluding costly AI accelerators, we keep products accessible and relevant to local needs, particularly in fast-growing sectors such as smart manufacturing and automation. Our Shakti processor journey, born from academic collaboration, reflects the power of working hand-in-hand with institutes to drive frontier innovation.
Q. What unique chip-design problems do you solve for India?
A. Many Indian deployments rely on ad-hoc solutions (like piecing together Raspberry Pis), leading to cost, reliability, and scalability issues. Mindgrove’s philosophy is to work backwards from deployment needs, prioritising reliability, low cost, and accessible development tools. This approach shortens the gap from prototype to deployment by providing a unified platform. The company’s philosophy deliberately avoids adding rapidly obsolete features, instead opting for generic, flexible hardware that can run current and future AI models.
Q. How do you work with OEMs, integrators, and partners, and what’s your global expansion plan?
A. Rather than standard licensing models, Mindgrove partners deeply with OEMs and system integrators, sharing both business insights and silicon expertise to ensure commercial and technical success. Our tie-up with Bosch illustrates this philosophy: Bosch provides deployment and feedback, while Mindgrove tailors next-gen designs based on real-world input. Global ambitions will follow only after thoroughly serving Indian customers—the local ecosystem must first develop sufficient ODM and EMS depth.
Q. How are you building credibility for Indian-designed chips against global giants?
A. Earning trust is a long-term process, built on proof of concept, sustained commitment, and consistent problem-solving for customers, not on marketing gloss.
Q. How do price and value compare with international options, and how do startups like yours drive Indian semiconductor self-reliance?
A. For low-volume launches, pricing is often on par with international options, while scaling brings cost advantages. ROI varies by focus, differentiation may come from certifications, features, or partnership value. However, the most crucial lever for national progress is IP ownership. By developing and retaining domestic chip IP, we enable genuine value addition and advance India’s strategic independence.
Q. How do you engage with academia and government to drive adoption and ecosystem growth?
A. Mindgrove’s deep ties to IIT Madras and regional colleges, via incubation and hands-on internships, help align educational outcomes with industry demand and strengthen the talent pipeline, with strong government interest in scaling up such collaborations.
Q. What policy role are startups now playing in India’s evolving electronics sector?
A. Startups are increasingly taking a seat at the table in shaping regulatory frameworks and industry standards, ensuring that policy aligns with frontline realities and supports sectoral growth.
Q. What’s next for Mindgrove, and how do you balance performance, cost, and sustainability?
A. With mobile-first demand plateauing, Mindgrove targets high-potential sectors: automotive, wearables, deep-embedded applications, and the edge. As a design house, our environmental impact is minimal; the focus remains on constant innovation to ensure globally competitive costs and performance.
Q. What advice would you offer those starting in India’s semiconductor space?
A. The tools, knowledge, and support systems are now firmly in place to make a real leap into chip design and entrepreneurship in India. The journey is demanding, but for those who begin now, the rewards are immense, and the opportunity to shape the industry is unprecedented.
