In exclusive conversation with CIO&Leader, Srini Chinamilli Co-Founder & CEO, Tessolve dived into the IT strategy to navigate challenges in the advent of AI.
CIO& Leader: How has your business model evolved from test engineering to a full turnkey semiconductor solution? How is Tessolve positioning itself as a leader in semiconductor innovation, beyond traditional testing services?
Srini Chinamilli: Since our founding in 2004, Tessolve has undergone a strategic transformation from a focused test engineering company to a comprehensive, end-to-end semiconductor engineering solutions provider. In our early days, we identified a significant gap in India’s capability to support global semiconductor testing and productization. That insight became the foundation for building world-class engineering teams and lab infrastructure.
Today, Tessolve is one of the largest standalone semiconductor engineering solution providers, with over 3,500 engineers across 11 countries. We offer a full turnkey model that spans from silicon design and validation to product engineering, embedded systems, and full system design.
Our differentiation lies in the depth of our capabilities—ranging from advanced ARM-based SoC development, high-speed I/O (HSIO), and power-intensive device testing (500W+), to validating technologies at leading-edge nodes like 3nm. These capabilities allow us to engage with customers much earlier in the development cycle and support them all the way to production.
By integrating these capabilities, Tessolve has positioned itself as a strategic partner in semiconductor innovation—helping customers bring increasingly complex products to market faster and with greater confidence.
CIO& Leader: With global chipmakers shifting to advanced nodes, how is Tessolve supporting design validation and testing for these technologies?
Srini Chinamilli: Tessolve is privileged to collaborate with many of the world’s leading semiconductor companies on their most advanced node technologies. This has been made possible through the deep trust we’ve built over the years and our consistent focus on quality and innovation.
We are actively investing in our Centers of Excellence to remain ahead of the technology curve and ensure our teams are future-ready. Our strategic partnerships with all major tester and EDA tool companies give us early access to the latest platforms and capabilities.
Today, Tessolve is involved in the design validation and testing of cutting-edge nodes for some of the most advanced semiconductor products globally. Our state-of-the-art labs in both the USA and India are equipped with the latest testers, enabling us to support the full spectrum of silicon bring-up, characterization, and volume testing for next-generation chips.
CIO&Leader: How does Tessolve’s engineering team handle the increasing complexity in AI, automotive, and 5G SoCs?
Srini Chinamilli: At Tessolve, managing the increasing complexity of AI, automotive, and 5G SoCs is a core engineering priority. These domains demand advanced capabilities due to large die sizes, shrinking process geometries, high-speed interfaces, and stringent power-performance requirements.
Our approach is rooted in continuous R&D and innovation. We’ve invested heavily in next-generation test engineering and AI-driven testing methodologies that enable intelligent debugging, faster test coverage, and improved reliability—even for ultra-high-power and high-bandwidth chips. Automation and smart test frameworks allow us to optimize for performance, power efficiency, and scalability across a broad range of applications including AI accelerators, HBM-based designs, 5G infrastructure, and connected automotive systems.
To stay ahead of the technology curve, Tessolve has strategically acquired specialized companies over the years—expanding our expertise in areas like custom silicon design. We have invested in getting the capability of high-speed I/O validation, and advanced packaging . The acquisitions, combined with our robust internal capabilities, position us to deliver end-to-end silicon solutions to customers—from design and DFT to validation, ATE, and system-level deployment.
By combining deep engineering knowledge with a strong ecosystem of tools and partnerships, Tessolve is uniquely equipped to address the demands of today’s most advanced semiconductor designs.
CIO&Leader: How do you see India’s role evolving in the global chip design and product engineering ecosystem?
Srini Chinamilli: India is rapidly evolving into a pivotal force in the global chip design and product engineering landscape. With over 25% of the world’s silicon design engineers of Indian origin, the country has already established itself as a hub for semiconductor design talent. At Tessolve, we’ve seen this journey firsthand—not just in chip design, but across the full lifecycle of semiconductor product development, including validation, testing, and manufacturing enablement.
Our engineering services are increasingly being leveraged by global OSATs, fabless companies, and manufacturing players who are either entering or expanding their footprint in India. The Indian government’s $10 billion semiconductor incentive program is acting as a catalyst, drawing multinational and domestic players to invest and collaborate.
Tessolve is playing an active role in this transformation:
Startup Enablement: We offer a robust platform for startups—especially those in Silicon Valley and now in India—to design custom chips and scale to high-volume production. We provide end-to-end support from architecture to tape-out to system validation.
Workforce Development: Recognizing the growing demand for semiconductor talent, we’ve invested significantly in internal training programs and partnerships to build future-ready engineering talent across domains like analog/mixed-signal design, DFT, validation, and ATE.
Academic Collaborations: Tessolve collaborates with leading academic institutions to bridge the industry-academia gap. Through sponsored research, internships, and curriculum support, we help nurture the next generation of semiconductor innovators in India.
With strong policy momentum, deep technical talent, and a growing innovation ecosystem, India is well-positioned to emerge not just as a backend destination, but as a full-stack semiconductor innovation hub—contributing to global leadership in chip design, product engineering, and scalable manufacturing.
CIO&Leader: Is Tessolve involved in any government initiatives or consortiums supporting India’s semiconductor mission?
Yes, Tessolve has been a proud contributor to India’s semiconductor growth story for over two decades. We were among the first to establish advanced semiconductor test and qualification labs in the country, helping lay the foundation for India’s evolving semiconductor ecosystem.
In collaboration with the Government of India, Tessolve has played a key role in setting up STPI (Software Technology Parks of India) labs. These facilities are accessible to startups and small-scale enterprises, enabling them to use advanced electronic testing equipment at a fraction of the cost. This initiative not only supports innovation at the grassroots level but also reflects our commitment to giving back to the broader semiconductor community in India.
As the government accelerates its push to establish India as a global semiconductor hub, Tessolve is well-positioned to contribute meaningfully. With deep engineering capabilities across the value chain—from chip design and validation to product engineering and system-level solutions—we actively support new product companies and manufacturing setups in scaling their capabilities.
Our strong infrastructure, combined with policy momentum and industry partnerships, makes Tessolve a strategic enabler of India’s semiconductor mission.
CIO&Leader: What kind of AI silicon work is Tessolve currently engaged in, especially around edge AI or AI accelerators?
Srini Chinamilli: AI continues to be a strategic focus area for Tessolve, as the demand for custom silicon in both edge and data center AI applications accelerates. With the growing complexity of AI SoCs, especially those built on advanced process nodes, we’ve made substantial investments to meet the evolving design and test challenges.
On the testing side, we’ve significantly expanded our automated test equipment (ATE) infrastructure and integrated advanced data collection systems. This enables us to validate high-power, high-performance AI chips efficiently while ensuring reliability and controlling test costs.
From a design perspective, we are deeply engaged in supporting next-generation AI silicon through capabilities in:
- Design verification for UCIe-based chiplet architectures
- DFT (Design for Test) for multi-die systems
- Advanced packaging and interposer-based integration
- High-speed I/O and memory interface validation
- System Level test
Our labs are equipped with the latest testers capable of handling the power, thermal, and data throughput requirements of cutting-edge AI accelerators and edge inference chips.
Today, Tessolve is partnering with several leading AI-focused companies to design, validate, and test custom AI SoCs—ranging from low-power edge AI devices to high-performance compute accelerators—positioning us as a key enabler in the AI silicon ecosystem.
CIO&Leader: How is Tessolve helping clients optimize power, performance, and cost (PPA) in AI SoC design and testing?
Srini Chinamilli: The semiconductor industry is witnessing a major shift, with more product companies designing custom silicon tailored to their specific AI workloads. Off-the-shelf solutions no longer meet the performance and efficiency demands of next-generation applications.
At Tessolve, we’re at the forefront of this transformation. Our recent acquisition of Dream Chip Technologies in Germany—an expert in custom chip design—significantly strengthens our capabilities in AI SoC development. From low-power edge devices to high-performance hyperscaler-class chips, we support clients across the entire spectrum.
We offer a complete turnkey solution—from pre-silicon architecture and design, to post-silicon validation, testing, and embedded integration. Our teams leverage industry-leading methodologies, advanced design tools, and a global lab infrastructure equipped with high-end testers that support complex power and performance profiles.
Whether it’s optimizing for power efficiency in edge AI or maximizing performance in datacenter-class SoCs, Tessolve helps customers achieve the right balance of power, performance, and cost—accelerating their time to market with confidence.
CIO&Leader: In the IoT space, what kind of low-power design/test work are you seeing more demand for?
Srini Chinamilli: In the IoT domain, we are seeing growing demand for ultra-low-power design and validation—especially for battery-operated and energy-harvesting devices. Customers are increasingly focused on optimizing both dynamic and static power consumption to extend battery life and meet tight thermal and form factor constraints
On the design side, this includes implementing advanced power management techniques such as multi-voltage domains, power gating, clock gating, and DVFS (Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling). We’re also supporting design verification at RTL.
From a test perspective, we’re seeing strong demand for power characterization, and testing across various power states to ensure robust operation in real-world conditions. Tessolve’s lab infrastructure and test platforms are well-equipped to support these specialized low-power test requirements, including ATE-based and bench-level validation.
As more IoT applications emerge in industrial, healthcare, and wearable tech, our focus remains on delivering design and test solutions that are not only low power but also scalable, cost-efficient, and reliable.
CIO&Leader: Are there efforts to make semiconductor operations more environmentally sustainable at Tessolve?
Srini Chinamilli: Yes, environmental sustainability is a growing priority at Tessolve. As a global semiconductor engineering solutions provider, we are committed to contributing to a greener, more sustainable future through conscious and measurable actions.
We are actively working across several areas to reduce our environmental footprint:
- Energy-efficient infrastructure: Our state-of-the-art test labs are equipped with energy-efficient systems and optimized HVAC configurations to minimize power consumption.
- Test optimization for sustainability: We employ advanced test engineering techniques—such as test time reduction, parallel testing, and yield improvement—to reduce overall energy usage and minimize operational waste.
- Low-power design practices: On the design front, we support the development of low-power architectures and power-aware methodologies that enable the creation of energy-efficient chips, especially critical for IoT and AI applications.
- Office-level initiatives: We’ve taken steps to reduce single-use plastics across our offices, including limiting the use of plastic bottles and packaging materials.
These ongoing efforts reflect our commitment to environmental stewardship, and we continue to explore additional ways to integrate sustainability into our engineering, operational, and corporate practice
CIO&Leader: What’s your vision for Tessolve over the next five years in the global chip ecosystem?
Srini Chinamilli: Over the next five years, Tessolve aims to play a defining role in building a more resilient, innovation-led global semiconductor ecosystem. We envision Tessolve as a preferred technology partner for companies across the world seeking comprehensive, end-to-end engineering solutions—from custom silicon design and AI-driven development to advanced testing and system-level integration.
As demand accelerates for application-specific chips in AI, edge computing, automotive, and high-performance domains, our focus will be on driving innovation in custom silicon, optimizing development cycles through AI-led design automation, and enabling faster time-to-market through robust productization platforms.
Our recent acquisition of Dream Chip Technologies strengthens this vision—particularly in areas like advanced ASIC design, edge AI, and automotive-grade solutions. This strategic integration expands our capabilities across high-growth sectors including automotive, telecom, and consumer electronics.
At the same time, we remain deeply committed to nurturing engineering talent, investing in emerging technologies, and forging global partnerships. With our growing footprint and deep domain expertise, we are well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to India’s semiconductor ambitions while continuing to serve the global industry with agility, scale, and technical excellence.
Ultimately, we see Tessolve becoming a cornerstone of the next generation of semiconductor innovation—bridging design, test, and systems integration under one global platform.