Kigen is the global security leader for Integrated SIM (iSIM) and eSIM technology solutions and services or connected devices simplifies the manufacturing supply chain while delivering a scalable and secure root of trust which provides end-to-end, chip-to-cloud security for IoT applications and the data they transmit.
In this interview with Mayank Sharma, Regional VP of Solutions at Kigen shares his insights about Kigen product expertise and market approach.
1. Please share with us your company background and vision.
A world-leading and trusted partner in eSIM enablement, Kigen is at the forefront of the digital revolution and is committed to accelerating secure local SIM, eSIM, and iSIM manufacturing and data management infrastructure for the next generation of Telecom and Connected future in India. Our vision is rooted in the idea that securing devices and the data we trust and rely on should be as simple as possible. Kigen believes a more robust Indian eSIM ecosystem is essential to realise the Made in India drive towards intelligent, resilient, and world-leading digital products, and is committed to establishing strong partnerships that can deliver towards this goal.
As for Kigen’s history, 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. Kigen is an agile player focused on energy-efficient eSIM solutions. Further, Kigen’s GSMA-accredited data center in Noida supports Indian OEMs in accessing leading technology locally to build cost-efficient solutions that meet the demands of the Indian economy.
2. What is your expertise in eSIM and your offerings?
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. Kigen has the most code-efficient eSIM OS, making it an outstanding choice for a much more comprehensive range of chipsets built to address energy-efficient IoT. Kigen also brings industry-leading expertise in NB-IoT, LTE, and 5G Low Power Wide Area networks, leading eSIM (eUICC) standards at the GSMA and pioneering the integrated SIM, or iSIM. Kigen’s data center in Noida provides globally-recognized eUICC services, having met the rigorous certification standards.
Often, the inclusion of cellular connectivity needs OEMs to secure connectivity contracts with operators across multiple target regions and presents challenges in certifying the various components and the device itself, establishing secure remote provisioning capabilities – a multi-year investment in resources and one that requires highly specialised talent. Kigen combines this expertise across manufacturing for silicon, device OEMs, and telecoms so that smart metering and asset tracking solutions can be simplified and built for scale, giving Indian OEMs a significant boost in time to market.
3. What’s new with iSIM, and how will it revolutionize cellular IoT connectivity?
The integrated SIM, or iSIM, combines the capabilities of the MCU, secure element, and connectivity components into the SoC itself. This may sound like a small, humble change deeply rooted in the chipset. However, it changes the entire game for cellular IoT connectivity. When Kigen, then part of Arm, announced iSIM, it was seen as a shocking disruptor grasping the attention through its performance uplift, miniaturization advantage, and power efficiency enhancement. Technically, it brings incredibly striking benefits and allows devices of any form, whether battery-constrained or minor, to have robust ultimate security foundations and be connected without any human intervention – what we call ‘out-of-the-box connectivity.’
From a commercial perspective, it pays enormous dividends: through the Bill of Material (BOM) reduction on SoC components, it reduces the overall cost of hardware, along with reduced import and certification costs, which manifest in significant speed to product development. Furthermore, iSIM is available with all leading IoT modules through Kigen; its functionality can be combined with end-to-end security right in the factory. Overall, for device makers and end users, iSIM in combination with 5G LPWAN connectivity over a 10-year life span is estimated to result in 13% overall TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) – which can be a significant benefit for businesses and consumers in deployments such as smart metering at scale.
Given these significant benefits, Counterpoint Research and Technology estimates iSIM will grow fastest in the next five years of all versions and generations of eSIM or SIM. It (iSIM) will become the preferred SIM form factor by 2030 for all cellular categories, and Kigen remains at the leading edge of this shift.
4. What are the high-potential markets for your products, and can you tell us about your clientele?
As an eSIM and iSIM technology supplier, Kigen’s products are seeing a huge demand in markets where devices must operate with finite battery life through sustained service life. So, it can be horizontally applied solutions in any market that needs a more efficient, affordable, and larger volume of products.
We have seen strong traction for our eSIM-based smart metering solutions – where Kigen eSIM OS on rigorous industrial-grade chipsets has now been adopted by three of the world’s top five energy metering manufacturers. For such wide-ranging deployments, some meters are in extremely remote places, while others are located in highly dense and close proximity, which presents a challenge. We are working to ensure that manufacturers can leverage a single-keeping unit (SKU) in two ways: ensuring solid relationships with connectivity providers with the best coverage and providing the capability to embed connectivity for the region the meter is destined for right during the manufacturing stage through In-Factory Profile Provisioning. Another development in strong demand is the ability to bridge terrestrial network coverage with Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Satellite networks. We have been early collaborators with Skylo Technologies and empowering meter operators and utilities to never miss a remote meter – as these devices are increasingly considered national infrastructure critical assets.
In addition, we have a strong momentum in Consumer eSIM enabled 5G FWA hot-spots, routers, etc – what tech terms is Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) – devices that bridge the “last mile” in delivering 5G networks for businesses or households that lack connectivity or networks in motion. The mobile industry strongly believes that improving unit economics and CPE average selling prices (ASPs) will boost 5G adoption.. CPE can be widely used for wireless access in rural areas, towns, hospitals, units, factories, and residential areas, as a more expedient alternative to laying wired networks. In remote/out-of-urban areas, they may also save on access costs. CPE devices represent the next billion connections in the next two years, so it’s an area where we are seeing strong traction, and it represents a priority area for operators.
Lastly, when speaking of the Indian market, we see a huge innovation in consumer eSIM devices. For Kigen, the broadening of form factors in which eSIM-reliant services are starting to find consumer confidence in, say, for example, eSIM-enabled smart watches, affordable eSIM laptops, and client and smart speakers. One of the common struggles for manufacturers and operators alike is provisioning the right subscription on devices that don’t have full input systems to take in user commands. We have baked in innovative features such as number-sharing between phones and smartwatches, as well as working with the GSMA for their eSIM discovery service – so that the way a device fetches the correct eSIM profile and pairs it with the device TAC (Type Allocation Code) when it first comes online is standardized. Kigen also has been leading the eSIM for IoT specification – SGP.32, with already SGP.32-ready features baked into our Consumer eSIM OS, offering ways for operators and customers to manage large fleets of IoT devices.
Finally, we are seeing a strong demand for logistics, telematics, and asset-tracking solutions. We have established a stronghold in many countries and are bringing this well-tested and robust solution to the Indian market. We are focused on supporting the nationwide implementation of the AIS-140 mandate by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for passenger and vehicle safety and the eSIM-enabled telematics mandated by the IRDAI directive for insurance companies for fleet management companies in India. Working with leading SIM card manufacturing partners in India, Kigen is bringing accelerated capabilities to equip them with quality and security of eUICC manufacturing with an eUICC OS that can meet certifications such as EAL (Evaluation Assurance Level), Global Platform for interoperable deployment of applications on secure chip technology, EMVCo for interoperability with payment systems, and other secure applications that are future ready.
5. Tell us about your distribution strategy and sales offices.
Kigen has a unique business model in the SIM industry gives us a distinct advantage and global reach without the overheads. This approach is also best suited to meet local/regional requirements worldwide and enables us to build win-win partnerships with all our vendors and customers. It is genuinely “think global, ship local”. Therefore, the distribution strategy involves Kigen establishing a solid integration with regional players who effectively form an extended sales team. This approach helps meet local regulatory, security, and targets for India, Brazil, Turkey, and China. Furthermore, Kigen has dedicated sales offices in strategic regions such as North America, Europe, India, Africa, China, Singapore, and Japan.
6. Tell us about your work culture and future expansion plan.
At Kigen, our team is composed of innovative, knowledgeable, and fun individuals who share in the vision for a better, secure digital future. We have a strong set of core values that drive our decisions and how we work together. We also extend this to bringing a very ‘can-do’ attitude to simplify things for our customers. We inherited a business ethos of working in close partnerships in a way that the industry gains from it and also, hence, remains involved in collaborating on standards.
Within Kigen, we have a flexible approach to working and encourage all to have a good life-work balance (emphasis on the life!), so our offices in Noida are designed to make the most of the time one spends there. Our mantra has been a passion for customer success and that comes from being able to think big and act fast – take iterative steps and leap together. We also operate with a mindset to ‘be excellent to all’ – meaning we must care for each other, including our customers and communities.
We have just expanded our offices in Noida and are always looking for outstanding talent in our technical and customer success centers of excellence – we have an excellent opportunity to shape India’s digitalization together.
About Mayank Sharma
Mayank Sharma is a senior leader at Kigen with deep expertise in eSIM/iSIM and Remote SIM Provisioning products and services go-to-market. He is responsible for driving the solutions-thinking in helping the cellular industry maximise value from eSIM and RSP technologies. This involves establishing key partnerships, evangelising eSIM & RSP, identifying key challenges faced by customers and how Kigen can help solve these.
He is a key interface for OEM, Cellular Module, MNO and Enterprise customers. Over the last 2 years, he has focussed heavily on India, China and Taiwan cellular ecosystem, driving Kigen’s adoption to meet regional requirements as well as enabling global business.
Previously, Mayank Sharma was Head of Product Management at Kigen for 5 years and helped bring to market the current Kigen product lines and was instrumental in establishing a long-term roadmap and strategic direction.
Mayank holds an MSc in Electronics Engineering and is member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
