New Delhi: Xiaomi to bring ISRO's NavIC technology to smartphone line-up

New Delhi: Chinese tech major Xiaomi on Tuesday said it will bring ISRO's Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, NavIC technology to its smartphones. The capability has been currently enabled by Qualcomm Technologies Inc on several of their Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platforms and will be made available across multiple Xiaomi smartphones in India, a statement said.

NavIC-- Navigation with Indian Constellation -- is the regional geo-positioning system designed in India by ISRO to provide accurate positioning in India and around the Indian mainland. It is considered to be at par with US-based GPS, Russia's Glonass and Galileo developed by Europe. "In 2020, several Xiaomi smartphones across multiple price points will support NavIC, initially supported by some Snapdragon chipsets," the statement said.

The implementation was possible after R&D efforts from Xiaomi for software along with ISRO and Qualcomm's efforts, it added. "Xiaomi has taken this step to further extend its commitment to Make in India, by bringing in technology developed in India within its smartphones," it said. NavIC is designed to provide accurate positioning in India and 1,500km around the Indian mainland.

The system comprises 7 satellites, 3 of which are in geostationary orbit over the Indian Ocean and 4 in geosynchronous orbit.