On September 19, a heartwarming wave of joy swept through over 100 government schools across Karnataka as 92 volunteers from Samsung R&D Institute, Bengaluru (SRI-B) distributed new notebooks to 8,650 students.

Walking into classrooms filled with laughter and excitement, the volunteers were met with eager faces and bright smiles. Each notebook symbolized more than paper — it carried hope, encouragement, and the promise of a brighter future.

“In each notebook, write down your dream. Work towards it each day as you see it and very soon you would realise, you’re only getting closer to your dream,” said Mohan Rao Goli, Managing Director and Corporate Vice President, SRI-B, as he inspired students to believe in their aspirations.

The initiative stemmed from a needs-assessment survey conducted across 530 schools in districts such as Bagalkot, Bengaluru, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Koppal, Mysuru, and Tumakuru — where 489 schools expressed a pressing need for notebooks.

Teachers and principals expressed heartfelt gratitude for the initiative. Uma S.K., Principal of GMHPS, BEML Nagar, said, “SRI-B’s Notebook Donation Initiative has ensured our students have the right tools to pursue their learning needs.”

This was the third edition of SRI-B’s Notebook Donation Drive, which previously supported schools in 2018 and 2019. Over the years, SRI-B has also contributed through initiatives such as providing student desks, flipboards, RO filters, and even rebuilding schools — all aimed at nurturing inclusive and inspiring learning environments.

The notebook drive is part of SRI-B’s broader CSR outreach efforts, including programs like Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC), reinforcing Samsung’s commitment to empowering young minds through education and community development.

Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore (SRI-B) has been conferred with the “Innovation Excellence Award” by the Government of Karnataka at the recently concluded Global Investors Meet – Invest Karnataka 2025.

This milestone highlights SRI-B’s pivotal role in India’s innovation landscape, with a record-breaking 11,000+ global patent filings for technologies developed at the centre.

SRI-B has been instrumental in shaping India’s technology landscape, fostering a strong culture of intellectual property creation, pushing the boundaries of product development and innovation.

In 2024, 780 inventors at SRI B filed patents, with 260 of them being first-time inventors—many of them having less than three years of experience.

Reinforcing SRI-B’s leadership in next-generation technology, 180 Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) were created by SRI-B, including 100 cutting-edge 5G SEPs.

SRI-B has firmly established itself as India’s No. 1 patent filer among private sector firms for inventions first filed in the country. Over the past three years, it has filed over 3,000 patents in India and globally.

“At SRI-B, we are deeply committed to fostering an ecosystem of intellectual property excellence. Through comprehensive training programs, a dedicated IPR portal and a strong culture of innovation, we empower our engineers with the knowledge and resources to excel in patent filing. This award from the Government of Karnataka further anchors our industry leadership,” said Mohan Rao Goli, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, SRI-B.

This dedication to innovation has earned SRI-B multiple accolades, including the National IP Award in 2015, 2018, and 2021-22. The latest recognition from the Government of Karnataka further cements Samsung India’s leadership in AI, Modem, Multimedia, IoT, and next-gen connectivity.

With a relentless focus on patent-driven innovation, Samsung continues to play a crucial role in shaping India’s future in technology.

Samsung R&D Institute India, Bangalore (SRI-B) inaugurated Samsung’s flagship global citizenship programme, the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC), at Karnataka’s first all-women’s engineering college, Geetha Shishu Shikshana Sangha (GSSS) Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women, Mysore. This initiative underscores Samsung’s unwavering commitment to advancing gender equality in STEM and fostering a new generation of women leaders in technology.

Launched in September 2022, the SIC programme comprises an extensive curriculum focused on core technology skills including Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Big Data, and Coding & Programming, especially designed by Samsung’s global R&D experts to make India’s youth industry-ready. The students enrolled in this initiative will get an opportunity to undergo expert offline and online training at a classroom facility, and work on innovative projects under the guidance of mentors from SRI-B and GSSS Institute.

“At Samsung, we believe innovation thrives when opportunities are inclusive. It brings us immense pride to inaugurate Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) at Karnataka’s first women’s engineering college, a space where bright young minds will explore, experiment, and push the boundaries of technology. Aligned with the government’s #DigitalIndia and #MakeinIndia campaigns, it empowers students to drive technological progress from within the country. We look forward to moulding future women leaders as they create, innovate, and transform the world with technology,” said Mohan Rao Goli, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, SRI-B.

In 2024, Samsung Southwest Asia expanded its SIC reach by enrolling 3,500 students, up from 3,000 in 2023. Samsung’s ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility, through initiatives such as SIC and Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (SFT), highlights its mission to nurture and train India’s future-tech leaders. Through these programmes, Samsung continues to support India’s youth, equipping them with the skills that not only advance their personal and professional growth but also empower India as a global technology hub.

“Our collaboration with SRI-B ensures maximum impact, providing industry-relevant courses and niche skills, strong technical foundations, and practical exposure through capstone projects. This initiative reinforces our commitment to powering #DigitalIndia by bridging the digital skills gap and preparing women for the future workforce. Through a structured curriculum, the students will gain hands-on experience in problem-solving and emerging technologies, enhancing both employability and innovation. We deeply appreciate SRI-B for this invaluable partnership, which empowers young women technologists to drive technological advancements,” said Anupama B Pandit, Secretary, GSSS (R), Mysore.

SRI-B has established SICs in seven other institutes in Karnataka, including BNM Institute of Technology, Cambridge Institute of Technology (Main & North Campuses), Don Bosco Institute of Technology, KLE Institute of Technology, RNS Institute of Technology (RNSIT) Bengaluru, as well as one in IIIT-Kurnool, training over 800 students with the necessary skills to secure relevant opportunities in the field of technology.

Dr. Madhan Raj, Architect, System Structure Design, Samsung R&D Institute, Bangalore

Samsung Research & Development Institute, Bangalore (SRI-B), continues to set benchmarks in innovation and engineering as Dr. Madhan Raj, a distinguished technologist, has been named the ‘Technologist of the Year’ by the prestigious Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) India Council. This recognition, presented at the IEEE IC Awards Ceremony held at IIT Kharagpur, marks yet another milestone in Samsung’s journey of technological leadership.

Dr. Madhan is the youngest recipient of this award, a testament to his decade-long contributions at SRI-B. His work exemplifies Samsung’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and delivering ground-breaking advancements in technology.

Powering Global Impact Through Innovation

With over 130 patent filings and 30 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Raj’s achievements reflect Samsung’s ethos of engineering excellence. He has been at the forefront of pivotal projects, including leveraging AI to optimize real-time traffic for video calls, gaming, and XR experiences, as well as developing advanced Samsung Mobile Hotspot and Multipath TCP (MPTCP) technologies for Samsung smartphones.

Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators

Beyond his technical achievements, Dr. Raj actively contributes to Samsung’s flagship CSR initiative, Solve for Tomorrow, where he mentors young innovators and entrepreneurs. This initiative underscores Samsung’s commitment to shaping the future by empowering communities and inspiring the next generation of leaders.

 “This award reflects the collaborative spirit and technological excellence that defines Samsung. It motivates me to continue pushing boundaries and contributing to advancements that address real-world challenges. This recognition is a reflection of the support and innovation ecosystem fostered at SRI-B,” said Dr. Raj, speaking about the recognition.

A Legacy of Excellence

Founded in 1963, IEEE stands as the world’s largest organization of technical professionals, with over 460,000 members globally. The India Council, established in 1976, recognizes individuals and organizations advancing technological innovation. Over the years, Samsung has consistently earned accolades from IEEE, highlighting its contributions as a global technology leader.

The 15th edition of the Zinnov Awards focussed on recognizing and celebrating visionaries and change makers, shining the spotlight on the Titans in Tech – the India GCCs and individual role models who have created an impact on a global scale. SRI-B has been winning the Zinnov Awards continuously for a decade now, setting new industry standards.

SRI-B won the Technical Role Model award

This year, SRI-B won the Technical Role Model award, an individual contributor award in the established category, recognizing technology stalwart and SRI-B’s Chief Technology Officer, Mohan Rao Goli, for creating a significant impact by leading the team that worked on the world’s first mmWave (5G) mobile phone launch and the design revamp of 4G components, such as Modem software, Call software, Management software and Operator Administration Management software, to optimize the network.

Over the last 3 years, under Mohan’s guidance, SRI-B developed the world’s 1^st combined 4G/5G VRAN, the world’s 1^st low light camera solution – Nightography, the world’s 1^st  inter-operable single radio chip solution for Zigbee & Matter Thread communications in IoT, and the world’s 1^st and best On-device AI engine with highest performance.

“This recognition goes to show how dedicated SRI-B has been in making a global impact over the last decade. I am elated to represent this extraordinary company, making strides in innovation, especially in the areas of Advanced Wireless Communication, Internet of things, Camera and Artificial Intelligence Services.”

“I am proud and sincerely thankful to my leaders and the teams I’ve led along the way, for their enduring and perceptive efforts to bring SRI-B where it is today. However, this is just the beginning. SRI-B will continue to strive not just for excellence, but also to push the boundaries of research and inspire the future with our innovation”, said Mohan Rao Goli, Chief Technology Officer, SRI-B.

SRI-B has also won the Technical Role Model award in AI&BDA in the senior level category

SRI-B has also won the Technical Role Model award in AI&BDA in the senior level category, awarded to Dr. Lokesh Rayasandra Boregowda, Senior Director, SRI-B.

SRI-B focuses on technologies around Communication Protocols, Multimedia (including Camera Solutions), AD Tech, Data Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and IoT. The center has built end-to-end expertise in COEs through product management and UX Design thinking.  The R&D center’s key focus is to create global product differentiation and solutions for the Indian market by identifying unique insights and deliver value to consumers.

In the 28 years since its foundation, SRI-B has developed several products and solutions for both the national and global market, with several ‘world’s firsts’ conceptualized and developed out of this R&D center. The company is also recognized as India’s #1 patent filer, with the highest number of patents in the country filed out of this R&D center.

[L_R] Sharan Kumar Allur, Madhan Raj K, Ashok Kumar Reddy C, Mohan Rao GNS, Mahentesh Kothiwale, Dr. Sukhdeep Singh

Samsung researchers collaborated with experts from the UK, US, and India to author and edit a book on “AI in Wireless for Beyond 5G Networks”. The book was unveiled at the Innovate AI event hosted by IEEE ComSoc Bangalore.

Published by Taylor and Francis UK, the book provides a detailed overview of the application of AI in wireless communications for B5G networks. The authors, utilizing their extensive expertise, delve into the latest AI technologies and their applications in B5G wireless communication systems. The topics covered include AI technologies, architecture, and applications in smartphones, radio access networks (RANs), edge and core networks, and by application service providers, as well as trends in on-device AI for B5G networks. Written in an accessible manner, the book serves as a valuable resource for academics, researchers, and industry professionals in wireless communication, offering insights into current trends, developments, and practical applications of AI technologies in the field.

Three editors from Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore (SRI-B) — CVP & Chief Technology Officer, Mohan Rao Goli, Dr. Sukhdeep Singh from the Networks Team and Madhan Raj Kanagarathinam from Communication Services Team — along with three other contributors from the USA and UK, came together to publish this book, in which five chapters have been authored by engineers from SRI-B.

“I am thrilled to present our work that explores the intersection of AI and telecommunications. This book represents a collaborative effort, providing a comprehensive exploration from diverse perspectives. It’s designed to simplify complex concepts and inspire innovation across the telecommunications spectrum from end-to-end perspective of AI. I look forward to engaging with our readers and stakeholders in this exciting field, and am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing discourse”,
said Mohan Rao, CVP & Chief Technology Officer, SRI-B.

The book launch event, “INNOVATEAI: Crafting the Future of Intelligent Wireless in the 5G Era,” organized by the IEEE ComSoc Bangalore in conjunction with SRI-B, was held at Reva University, Bangalore and saw participation from eminent figures from academia and the industry.

The event featured keynotes and panel discussions with notable participants, including a keynote by Mohan Rao (CVP and CTO, SRI-B), Anindya Saha (Chiar, IEEE ComSoc Bangalore Chapter), Gnanapriya C (Associate VP and CMT , Infosys), and Mahantesh Kothiwale (Director, SRI-B). The panel discussion included members from different areas of telecom, including Suresh Chitturi (Senior Director, SRI-B), Subodh Gajare (Principal Architect, Cisco), Gnanapriya C (Associate VP and CMT , Infosys), Sharan Kumar Allur (Director, SRI-B) and Deepanshu Gautam (Architect, SRI-B).

While discussing the book release at the event, Dr. Sukhdeep Singh mentioned, “As an author and editor dedicated to the advancement of B5G network technologies, I am proud to introduce our latest contribution to the field, exploring the integral role of AI in shaping the future of wireless communications. I am excited to share our findings and insights with the community and foster a dialogue that will drive forward next-generation telecommunications.”

Adding to the conversation, Madhan Raj stated, “This book is the result of a collaborative effort among leading experts from various sectors, designed to offer a holistic view of the current trends, challenges, and innovative solutions in integrating AI with B5G networks. It aims to bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical application.”

The book is distinctive in providing a comprehensive perspective on AI in Wireless from an end-to-end viewpoint, demonstrating Samsung’s forward-thinking and superior research capabilities.

Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore (SRI-B) won the Nasscom spotlight awards 2023 for the worlds’ first innovation for Galaxy Upcyling and industry’s first innovation for Smart Building solution (b.IoT). The awards were presented under the categories – Ideation to Engineering Leadership and Concept to Engineering Leadership.

The nasscom Spotlight Awards serve as a platform to honor and showcase the outstanding contributions of ER&D organizations, who are at the forefront of spearheading innovation in diverse domains.
SRI-B, which is Samsung’s largest R&D facility outside Korea, won these awards for its “research to commercialization” approach across multiple product lines such as smartphones, networks, and connected home appliances.

The circular economy award recognized the recently developed Samsung Galaxy Upcycling Program. Under this program, Samsung re-purposes older smartphones into medical diagnosis cameras, helping underserved populations in Vietnam, India, Morocco, and Papua New Guinea.

As part of the Galaxy Upcycling program, Samsung is giving new life to older Galaxy devices to reduce electronic waste and enable greater access to ophthalmic health care in underserved communities.

SRI-B has developed this solution to utilize power of AI, Camera Tech & Image Processing to deliver affordable eye health care to underprivileged population through old smartphones.
By using power of the old smartphones, a circular economy is created thereby, reducing carbon footprint in atmosphere. Product launched in seven countries [Vietnam, India, Morocco, Bangladesh, New Papua Guinea, S. Korea, and Singapore] with around 80000 patients benefitted until now.

The carbon reduction innovation award was given for the industry first innovation which reduces carbon emissions from a smart building, making the building more valuable and sustainable.
The innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered algorithm-suite to detect energy operation anomalies and manage energy efficiently in an IoT-enabled smart building. Through reduction in energy usage, it brings down the building’s carbon footprint and reduces total operating cost.

The Smart Building solution has been deployed in a variety of commercial establishments and universities in countries such as India, South Korea, Poland and Vietnam, among others. “These awards are a testament to the incredible research and development capabilities that we have developed at Samsung Research Institute, Bangalore. It’s encouraging for our team members to see their work being recognized. Be it our products incorporating AI, IoT and smart assistants or our commitment to creating positive social impact via technology – Samsung is continuously working on innovating within different verticals. We look forward to engaging and developing transformational technology in India to continue to deliver world class products and services,” said Mohan Rao Goli, CTO & CVP, Samsung Research Institute, Bangalore.

Set up in 1996, SRI-B has grown into an advanced R&D center for Samsung globally, with excellence in wireless communications, multimedia and image processing, artificial intelligence in vision, voice and text technologies, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

SRI-B, which has created a strong culture of filing patents among its engineers over the last decade, will also expand Open Innovation with startups, students, and universities to help strengthen the innovation and startup ecosystem in the country.

It will drive this effort by scaling up its industry-academia program PRISM under which it has been working with engineering students and faculty on real-world research and development projects in cutting-edge technology areas. So far it has worked with close to 500 students in the country and some of these students have gone on to file patents along with Samsung engineers.

Samsung India’s flagship CSR program Samsung Innovation Campus concluded the AI, and Coding & Programming courses for its first batch of 68 students in Cambridge Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, reiterating Samsung’s commitment to being India’s strong partner and working alongside the Government in its mission to empower the country’s youth and #PoweringDigitalIndia.

The students, mentored and trained at CIT, Bengaluru were granted certificates of course completion at a felicitation ceremony held at the institute. The students were felicitated by officials from Samsung and CIT.

The first batch of students, who graduated in the month of June this year, set a remarkable precedent, showcasing the program’s effectiveness in transforming young minds into competent tech professionals. This time around, a batch of 68 students, of which 34 have been trained in AI and 34 in Coding and Programming.

“The goal of the Samsung Innovation Campus is to contribute to the development of India by empowering youth with education. Through this initiative, we want to empower the youth and create opportunities for them in future tech domains, further boosting India’s growth story and strengthening our commitment to Powering Digital India,,” said Mr. Mohan Rao Goli, Chief Technology Officer, Samsung R&D Institute, Bengaluru.

Youth enrolled for the program will undergo classroom and online training and complete their hands-on capstone project work in their selected technology areas from among Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data and Coding & Programming.

Samsung Innovation Campus acts as a hub for students and professors to work with SRI-B experts, enabling them to have an in-depth understanding through hands-on exposure and by solving real-world challenges using cutting-edge technologies.

The partnership with CIT is in addition to a Memorandum of Understanding that Samsung India signed with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) to train 3,000 less-privileged students across India as part of the Samsung Innovation Campus initiative.

SmartThings team from SRI-B receiving the ‘Breakthrough Business Ideas’

The Vanguard Awards recognizes rewards and motivates intrapreneurial effort with the strong belief that celebrating, and championing role models will inspire more organizations and leaders to tread this path. The Vanguard Awards is a pioneering, one of its kind, cross industry recognition program focused on Intrapreneurship in multiple forms. The 2023 edition saw more than 50 companies participate and vie for the top honours.

The Intrapreneurial Practice Award conferred to SRI-B for fostering a culture of Intrapreneurial leadership and end-to-end innovation. The IP & Innovation Group under the Chief Technology Officer champions the Intrapreneurship Program. The key pillars of the Intrapreneurship Program are Creative Lab (C-Lab) – Idea to Product, Breakthrough Innovation & Advanced Development Project Creation & Open Innovation – Partnering with Local Ecosystem Start-ups.

Syam Sidhardhan from SmartThings Team at SRI-B developed the World’s first One chip solution for Smart devices with Matter Thread & ZigBee certification. ZigBee & Matter Thread One Chip is a First of its kind innovative firmware plus software solution, which leverages a single radio chip to support multiple communication technologies such as ZigBee and Matter Thread protocol communication together in a multiplexing manner. This solution made Samsung’s smart home devices easily connectable with both legacy and modern smart home appliances seamlessly, without customer having to buy newer devices for compatibility with Matter Thread.

SRI-B receiving the ‘Intrapreneurial Practice Award’

In the 27 years since its foundation, SRI-B has developed several products and solutions for both the national and global market, with several ‘world’s firsts’ conceptualized and developed out of this R&D center.

Taking the Intrapreneurial culture forward, Praveen George, a senior product manager at SRI-B is credited with solving one of the main customer pain points in India – financing for electronic appliances. Samsung Finance+ was born out of the idea of a digital lending platform having tie-ups with multiple NBFCs to provide loans for Samsung customers looking to purchase Samsung products from offline stores. Today this digital lending platform, Samsung Finance+ is present in 70,000 plus stores in India and helped more than 7 million customers to purchase Samsung products with financing. Praveen was conferred with the Star Intrapreneur Award for his contribution.

“Over the last two decades, SRI-B has strived for building an intrapreneurial spirit within employees, allowing them to envision the future, think creatively, and transform ideas into value innovation. This award is a recognition of our focus on product development, advanced research and IP creation for software solutions. The award also recognizes all our innovators who have been creating intellectual property and contributing to the culture of intrapreneurship in the organization,” said Mohan Rao Goli, Chief Technology Officer, SRI-B.

Mohan Rao Goli, CTO, SRIB along with other panellists

SRI-B focuses on product development related to Device eXperience business of Samsung. Over the years, SRI-B has set up Centre of Excellences in Wireless Communication, Multimedia Technology, On-Device AI, Voice Interface and IoT.

The centre has built end-to-end expertise in COEs through product management and UX Design thinking. The R&D centre’s key focus is to create global product differentiation and solutions for the Indian market by identifying unique insights and deliver value to consumers.

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Series is the new standard-bearer of a trustworthy premium smartphone experience, merging power and lasting innovation in devices that have less environmental impact. Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore (SRI-B) is Samsung’s largest software R&D center outside South Korea and has contributed to the development of breakthrough innovations in the new Galaxy S23 series by closely collaborating with Korea teams and other Overseas R&D centers like Samsung Research America (SRA).

SRI-B engineers contributed significantly in the development of key features in camera, multi-device experience (SmartThings), on-device AI, 5G and Services in Galaxy S23.

“Our innovations are inspired by young consumers, who are the window to the future. Their curiosity, energy and wonder, together with the expertise and skills of our experts enable us to create breakthrough technology in smartphone camera, 5G and multi-device experience. Galaxy S23 series will delight our consumers and present them with their daily dose of awe and excitement,” said Mohan Rao Goli, CTO of Samsung R&D Institute India – Bangalore.

Camera

SRI-B engineers have been focusing on continuous R&D efforts to enhance the smartphone photography experience in every flagship devices. The new Galaxy S23 series, equipped with a pro-grade AI camera system, can capture amazing photos and videos even in low-light conditions. Inspired by our young and talented engineers, our experts in the domain passionately worked on computational photography and Vision AI technology to help enhance features including Nightography, Pro-grade Video, High-Resolution HDR and Astrophotography in Expert RAW.

SRI-B engineers with strong expertise in Visual Intelligence and depth estimation along with 2PD dual pixel hardware sensor capabilities, significantly enhanced key features like Selfie Portrait and Autofocus for video in Galaxy S23 series. The Expert RAW app, first launched in Galaxy S22 series, now supports 50MP resolution in the rear camera and has been extended to support front camera.

In order to provide the best capture, edit and share experience, SRI-B engineers have contributed to the development of Photo Remaster and Object Eraser features. In Galaxy S23 series, it is further enhanced with the introduction of the AI-Interactive Contour Segmentation tool, through which users can draw around a particular object in a photo to select and convert it to objects and stickers that can be inserted in another image.

SmartThings

The multi-device experiences in the Galaxy S23 series offer users enhanced connectivity and customization to improve their daily lives. In particular, the Smart Lighting service, developed by SRI-B, focuses on enhancing the personal well-being of users. The Circadian Lighting service customizes the relative colour values of a smart light bulb to mimic the natural light from the Sun throughout the day. Additionally, the Gentle Wakeup and Wind Down settings help users gently adjust by slowly brightening or reducing the intensity of smart lights at home to imitate sunrise and sunset effects.

SRI-B also contributed to the development of seamless IoT device registration services known as ‘Calm Technology’ and has been part of the team to achieve the world’s first Matter-certified IoT eco system device. SRI-B engineers have developed services that allow consumers to set the mood, create their own personal space, and save energy for sustainable living at the touch of a button and with simple automations in SmartThings.

One UI 5 Intelligence Experiences   

To enhance the Galaxy’s One UI experience, SRI-B team contributed to On Device Intelligence powered Personalization, Productivity & Automation features which provide convenience in consumers’ daily lives. Smart suggestions based on phone usage proactively suggests App and App Actions, Security and privacy dashboard to see device status in one place and provides complete control in the hands of consumers. When sharing an image with private information on Share Panel, it warns if you can unwittingly share sensitive data in advance. Furthermore, users can easily extract text from images and take quick actions like Call, Email and Navigation, etc. Students can simply take a screenshot and long press on any text to copy, search, and translate such content easily.