Beyond Assembly: India Forges Its High-Tech Core

Beyond Assembly: India Forges Its High-Tech Core

NASH Industries' new 'Make in India' motherboard, built with Intel, is more than a product. It's a strategic leap up the tech value chain for a nation.

10 days ago

Beyond Assembly: India Forges Its High-Tech Core

BENGALURU, India – November 25, 2025 – In the bustling tech hub of Bengaluru, a product launch quietly signaled a tectonic shift in India's technology landscape. NASH Industries, a veteran manufacturing firm, unveiled its first series of 'Make in India' motherboards. While new hardware is announced daily, this was different. Powered by Intel's cutting-edge Raptor Lake platform, this launch represents a deliberate and strategic move beyond assembly and into the complex world of core electronics design and manufacturing—a critical step in the nation's quest for technological self-reliance.

This isn't merely about putting components together in a local factory. It's about owning the intellectual and engineering heart of modern devices. For years, India's electronics sector has been dominated by Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS), assembling products designed elsewhere. NASH Industries' achievement marks a significant graduation, positioning the country as a credible player in original design manufacturing (ODM), where the value, and the expertise, truly lies.

A New Chapter for 'Make in India'

The launch is a powerful validation of the Indian government's ambitious 'Make in India' initiative. Policies like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, championed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), were designed to catalyze precisely this kind of evolution. By incentivizing domestic manufacturing and attracting investment in the electronics value chain, the government aims to reduce import dependency and establish India as a global manufacturing powerhouse. The creation of a domestically designed industrial-grade motherboard is a tangible result of this long-term strategy.

NASH Industries is no newcomer seeking to ride a policy wave. Founded in 1971, the company has built a formidable reputation as a trusted partner to over 15 Fortune 500 companies across demanding sectors like automotive, aerospace, healthcare, and defense. This deep-rooted experience in precision manufacturing has provided a solid foundation for its latest venture. The company's R&D division, NASH Tech Labs, established in 2016, has been the engine of this evolution, cultivating expertise in everything from FPGA controllers and PCB design to complex mechatronics. This sustained investment in indigenous R&D is now bearing fruit, allowing the company to compete on a global stage.

As Sanjay Wadhwa, Chairman and CEO of NASH Industries, stated, "We are proud to introduce our first family of Make in India motherboards based on Intel's cutting-edge Raptor Lake architecture. This collaboration with Intel underscores our commitment to advancing local innovation and delivering solutions that can compete globally."

The Engine of Industrial AI and Edge Computing

The new motherboards are far from consumer-grade components. Built on the Intel B760 chipset, they are purpose-built to be the resilient, intelligent core of next-generation industrial and commercial systems. These are the engines that will power the rapidly expanding world of the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and edge computing, where data must be processed instantly at its source, not in a distant cloud.

The applications are vast and vital to modernizing key industries. In banking and retail, these boards will drive the next generation of ATMs, POS terminals, and interactive kiosks. In industrial automation, they will serve as the brains for Industrial PCs (IPCs) and Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) on the factory floor, enabling smart manufacturing and real-time process control. Other target applications include sophisticated digital signage, gaming systems, and critical healthcare devices—a sector where NASH already has a foothold producing components for radiography and cardiac surgery machines.

By leveraging Intel's powerful Raptor Lake processors, NASH ensures its platform is not just locally made, but technologically current and future-ready. This negates the old stereotype of local products lagging behind global standards, instead offering superior performance and scalability for AI-enabled systems.

A Blueprint for Strategic Collaboration

This milestone was not achieved in isolation. The partnership with Intel was instrumental, providing a blueprint for how global tech giants can act as catalysts for local ecosystems. Intel's role went far beyond simply supplying chips; the company provided crucial architecture, design, and firmware technology support. This deep collaboration helped NASH accelerate development and navigate the complexities of creating a field-deployable, globally competitive platform from the ground up.

The partnership is a clear reflection of Intel's own strategy in India. For the semiconductor giant, fostering a robust local design and manufacturing ecosystem creates a more resilient supply chain and a larger, more sophisticated market for its advanced technologies. It’s a symbiotic relationship where local innovation is nurtured, and the global partner secures a stronger foothold in a strategic growth market.

Santhosh Viswanathan, Vice President and Managing Director for Intel's India Region, reinforced this view, noting, "Intel's collaboration with NASH Industries reinforces our commitment to enabling and advancing the electronics design and manufacturing ecosystem in India. The launch of this family of Make in India motherboards, a scalable and intelligent industrial solution that leverages Intel's edge computing platform is an exciting development."

Navigating a Competitive Global Arena

NASH Industries enters a market populated by established global titans like Advantech, ASRock Industrial, and Kontron, all of whom have a significant presence in the industrial computing space. However, NASH brings a unique set of advantages. Its 'Make in India' status offers a powerful differentiator, aligning with national procurement priorities and resonating with a growing demand for localized supply chains. Furthermore, its half-century of manufacturing excellence and existing relationships provide a level of trust and market access that a new entrant would struggle to replicate.

The company is clearly preparing for a major offensive. Recent reports indicate NASH Industries is in the process of raising between $120 million and $150 million from private equity investors to fund significant capacity expansion. This pursuit of capital, which could value the company at around $500 million, signals strong confidence from both the company's leadership and the financial markets in its strategy. With fresh funding and a landmark product, NASH Industries is not just launching a motherboard; it is launching a bold challenge to the established order and positioning India as a future hub for high-performance computing design.

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