Belagavi’s Parag Naik Powers India’s First Internet-Free Streaming Phones

In a landmark moment for digital innovation in India, Human Mobile Devices (HMD) and Lava have announced the launch of feature phones capable of streaming multimedia content without internet connectivity, thanks to revolutionary Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology. At the heart of this breakthrough is Parag Naik, the Belagavi-born co-founder and CEO of Saankhya Labs, whose technology is powering this transformation.

The phones, set to be unveiled at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, are developed in collaboration with Tejas Networks, FreeStream, and Sinclair. The core engine driving this innovation is Saankhya Labs’ award-winning SL3000 chipset, developed under the leadership of Parag Naik, who also serves as Executive Vice President at Tejas Networks.

Parag Naik, Executive Vice President, Tejas Networks, said, “With the integration of D2M chipsets into Intel-powered laptops, we are unleashing a revolutionary leap in educational content delivery. Leveraging the multicast architecture of ATSC 3.0, D2M platform allows simultaneous transmission of diverse educational content—each tailored for different grades, school boards, or languages—directly to students, even in connectivity-underserved geographies. The award-winning SDR chipset for D2M is powered by an indigenous multi-core DSP architecture that has gone through two generations of field hardening. D2M is a scalable, cost-effective, and resilient system that ensures inclusive, high-quality learning, no matter where the learner is situated and will catalyze the country’s emergence as a knowledge powerhouse in the coming years.”

What is Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) Technology?
D2M works like an FM radio for video. Traditionally, users rely on mobile data or Wi-Fi to stream content from YouTube, Netflix, or other platforms. D2M bypasses this need by delivering content over broadcast airwaves, directly to the device. Users can watch videos and listen to audio without an active internet connection — a game-changer for remote and bandwidth-starved regions.

Lava’s D2M Feature Phone
Lava has already confirmed the development of its first D2M feature phone in partnership with Tejas Networks. It runs on the MediaTek MT6261 SoC and integrates Saankhya’s SL3000 chip. The phone will sport a 2.8-inch screen, a 2,200 mAh battery, and an ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna to receive terrestrial TV broadcasts.
This initiative not only revolutionizes access to digital content but also puts Belagavi native Parag Naik at the center of India’s next big tech leap.