The IT major's new custom System-on-Chip offering targets carmakers and semiconductor firms, covering every stage from architecture to validation as automakers seek tighter control over the silicon behind their AI-driven, software-defined vehicles of the future.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has introduced Custom System-on-Chip (SoC) Design Services for automotive original equipment manufacturers and companies in the semiconductor ecosystem. The offering is meant to help carmakers conceive, design, verify, implement and validate bespoke chips for the coming generation of software-defined vehicles.
The launch comes as the auto industry moves toward centralised computing, zonal networks, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electric mobility and connected features. That shift is fuelling demand for computing hardware tailored to specialised workloads, demanding performance targets and each manufacturer's own product roadmap. With software carrying a growing share of a vehicle's functions, automakers want greater say over the silicon underneath. Custom chips, TCS argues, can match computing power to software needs, improve performance per watt and help brands stand out through vehicle applications and user experience.
Covering the full silicon lifecycle
The services draw on semiconductor engineering, VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integration) design, hardware-software co-design and system validation. They span every phase of chip development: architecture, design, verification, implementation, software integration and system validation.
TCS says its "chip-to-system" engineering approach links silicon design to the wider product development cycle. Vehicle architecture, software platforms, workloads and compute requirements are weighed before the chip architecture is fixed. This lets customers treat silicon decisions as part of the complete vehicle rather than as a standalone programme.
The services are meant to support automotive applications that need ever more sophisticated computing while meeting performance, power-efficiency and safety demands. By pairing chip engineering with system-level expertise, TCS says it can help customers speed up custom silicon programmes while improving productivity, cost efficiency and control over their chip roadmaps.
Executive and analyst views
Sreenivasa Chakravarti, Global Head and Vice President of Industrial Autonomy and Engineering at TCS, said the computing architecture will set apart AI-driven, software-defined mobility. The underlying SoC, he noted, will matter as much as top-class engineering in shaping the experiences buyers value and the vehicles they choose. He described silicon as an emerging strategic enabler, influencing vehicle performance, energy efficiency, software capabilities and user experience. TCS combines semiconductor, embedded software and systems expertise, he added, to help automakers turn their silicon strategies into differentiated mobility platforms.
Harish B, Principal Analyst and Senior Manager at ISG, observed that semiconductor capability is becoming a source of competitive advantage in the industry. As vehicles turn software-defined and AI-driven, he said, custom SoCs will be vital to performance, safety and efficiency. He viewed the timing of the TCS launch as pivotal, saying it could help automakers and Tier-1 suppliers build purpose-specific silicon and accelerate vehicle innovation.
The launch builds on TCS's existing strengths in semiconductor engineering, advanced silicon technologies, embedded systems, chip-to-system engineering and complex product development. As demand for automotive compute and mission-critical embedded systems grows, the company expects the services to help automakers convert their silicon investments into distinctive vehicle platforms and next-generation mobility experiences.
