Sidelink Positioning in India: Strong Patent Activity, Thin Startup Presence

What it is

Sidelink positioning is a 3GPP-standardized technology that lets mobile devices (UEs) directly locate each other over the sidelink (PC5) interface, bypassing base stations. It extends positioning coverage into areas with poor cellular reception or non-line-of-sight conditions—think underground parking, factory floors, or remote disaster sites.

Devices exchange sidelink positioning reference signals (SL-PRS) and assistance data, then compute relative positions using time-of-arrival, angle-of-arrival, or hybrid methods. The approach is built into 5G-Advanced (Release 18) and refined in Release 19, with a clear path toward 6G.

The value chain

The value chain spans standards-setting through to end-user services. Defensibility concentrates at the chipset and standards layers, where deep IP and implementation know-how create barriers.

• Standards & Research: 3GPP Release 18/19 define the physical layer and protocols; academic and corporate labs drive performance benchmarks.
• Chipset & Module Development: UE chipsets that transmit and receive SL-PRS—this is where most patent activity clusters and where margin lives.
• Device & Infrastructure Manufacturing: Integration into vehicles, smartphones, IoT modules, and public-safety radios.
• Application & Service Provision: Location-based services for autonomous driving, fleet management, industrial automation, and emergency response.

Where it's heading

Globally, the technology is moving from standardization to early commercial trials, with two clear trends shaping the near term.

• Extension to unlicensed spectrum (SL-U) in 3GPP Release 19, which could lower deployment costs and open new use cases (5G Sidelink Positioning in 3GPP Release 18 and Release 19).
• Active debate on spectrum bandwidth needed to hit 3GPP accuracy targets—wider bandwidths improve precision but strain spectrum availability (Sidelink Positioning: Standardization Advancements, Challenges and Opportunities).
• In India, the conversation is still nascent. No specific market data or dedicated trials have surfaced, but the country’s push for 5G smart factories and V2X pilots creates a latent demand pull.

The opportunity in India

Our dataset shows a striking white space: 139 patents are mapped to sidelink positioning in India, and filing momentum is rising—yet no Indian deep-tech startup in our data explicitly references the technology. The sole patent-holding entity is Intel (New Delhi), a multinational, not a homegrown venture.

This gap between research output and entrepreneurial activity signals an uncrowded entry point. Indian startups building in V2X, industrial IoT, or public-safety communications could anchor their IP around sidelink positioning while the field is still open. The absence of local patent-holders also means less risk of infringement thickets for early movers.

Funding data for the broader computing/AI sector (where these patents cluster) shows $2.4B raised across 368 companies, with a median raise of $1.4M. That capital is not yet flowing into sidelink positioning specifically, but it indicates a funding environment that could back a well-timed deep-tech play.

India signal: patents, startups, capital

139 patents in our dataset are matched to sidelink positioning, and the momentum is rising—published filings are up even before the last two years fully publish, a strong signal of growing research investment.

Only one patent-holding entity appears in our data: Intel Corporation (New Delhi), a multinational. No Indian startups in our dataset explicitly reference sidelink positioning in their profiles, though others may be working on it without patents or under different descriptors.

The dominant sector for these patents is computing/AI, which has seen $2,426.1M in total funding across 368 companies, with a median raise of $1.4M. Notable funded names in the sector include Teknuance ($813.7M), Polygon ($450M), and Sarvam AI ($275M), but none are known to be active in sidelink positioning.

In our data

Sources

• Sidelink Positioning: Standardization Advancements, ... ↗
• Who Needs Basestations When We Have Sidelinks? ↗
• Sidelink positioning reference signal configuration ↗
• Seven Leading-Edge Supply Chain Planning Capabilities ↗
• Industry 5.0 and Triple Bottom Line Approach in Supply Chain ... ↗
• Top Global Supply Chain Companies for Electronics Manufacturing ↗
• 5G Position Sensing Market Size and Statistics - 2030 ↗
• Indoor Positioning And Navigation Market Report, 2024-2030 ↗