<div id="readability-page-1">The move toward software-driven systems, higher current requirements, and decentralized architectures has boosted demand for advanced interconnect solutions across electric EVs, industrial systems, and hyperscale data centers.EE Times has interviewed Suraj Shah, sales director (India) at Amphenol Communication Solutions, and Vinesh Kaladharan, product manager lead at Amphenol FCI. The executives said connector systems are no longer viewed as secondary components in product design, as OEMs increasingly consider connectors during the early design stages of vehicle and electronics architecture development.“Earlier OEMs thought about connectors at a very later stage, which is changing now,” Shah said.At the same time, customers expect shorter product development cycles, reducing timelines from six months to three months.The company also sees rising demand from hyperscale data centers, as power requirements increase from 48 V to 400 V and potentially up to 800 V in future systems. Growing power density across electric mobility and data infrastructure is driving changes in connector design, thermal management, and system architecture.Founded in 1932 as a connector manufacturer for military radio communications, Amphenol Corp. (American Phenolic Corp.) has expanded rapidly over the past 10 to 15 years. The U.S.-based company now operates manufacturing facilities across most continents, along with sales offices in regions where it does not have manufacturing operations.The company operates as a decentralized organization with R&amp;D teams linked to manufacturing operations across regions, including India. Shah said Indian facilities design, manufacture, test, and launch products for both domestic and global markets.The executives said the company’s growth has come through both acquisitions and organic expansion. Recently, Amphenol completed the acquisition of CommScope’s CCS business.The company currently operates through three divisions. The first is the harsh-environment solutions division, which serves industries such as the military, aerospace, and oil and gas. The second is the communication solutions division (CSD), which focuses on PCB-level connectors, board-to-wire connectors, RF communication products, telecom applications, and mobile handset connectors. The third division, Amphenol interconnect solutions, includes sensors and cable harnesses.Shah said the communication solutions division is the company’s largest business segment and contributed nearly 50% of Amphenol’s $23 billion revenue last year.Within India, the company’s major markets include industrial systems, automotive, and data centers. Shah said wireless IT and data infrastructure, particularly AI-driven data centers, are growing rapidly.The industrial segment includes smart metering, robotics, and energy storage systems, while the automotive segment includes connectors for ECUs, LiDAR, radar, battery management systems, and lighting systems used in EVs and software-defined vehicles.“Traditionally, industry has been our core segment; now, data centers are emerging in India,” Shah said, specifying that automotive and EVs have also become strong focus areas.The company said growth in automotive electronics, AI infrastructure, and industrial electrification is driving simultaneous demand across multiple interconnect categories.Amphenol reported record first-quarter 2026 results with sales of $7.6 billion, up 58% year over year, and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.06, up 68% compared to the same period last year.The company also recorded orders worth $9.4 billion during the quarter, resulting in a book-to-bill ratio of 1.24:1. Operating cash flow stood at $1.1 billion, while free cash flow reached $831 million.Amphenol president and CEO Richard Adam Norwitt said strong growth in IT datacom markets, combined with contributions from acquisitions, drove the company’s performance.“The revolution in electronics continues to accelerate, with innovations creating exciting growth opportunities for Amphenol across each of our diversified end markets,” Norwitt said in the company’s latest quarterly results announcement.Kaladharan told EE Times that the market is shifting toward decentralized connector architectures rather than centralized systems.“EV systems currently operate largely within the 12- to 48-V range, but current requirements are increasing rapidly,” he said. “As vehicles get electrified, there is more demand for cables and connectors, which increases vehicle weight. That is why decentralization is preferred.”Decentralized architectures reduce cable length and help OEMs manage weight, packaging constraints, and power distribution across vehicle platforms.Charging systems remain fragmented in India’s two-wheeler and three-wheeler EV markets. Different OEMs use fixed charging systems, removable batteries, or swappable battery systems, resulting in different connector requirements.Standardization levels also differ by segment. Automotive systems are becoming more standardized globally, while two-wheeler systems remain more region-specific. India follows IS-17070 standards for EV systems, while Europe follows EN standards. These regional differences require connector manufacturers to support multiple form factors and electrical specifications across markets.Kaladharan said customers are increasingly seeking connectors that can handle higher current loads without enlarging the package size.“Earlier we had connectors rated at 1,200 amperes,” he said. “Now, with the artificial intelligence boom, we are developing connectors rated at 5,000 amperes for one customer in the U.S. market,” he said.Higher current densities inside compact systems are also increasing thermal loads within connectors and surrounding assemblies.Shah said rising power density in data centers is creating thermal management challenges.“We are working on connector technologies that can also support cooling,” he said. “This is still in the design stage.”Kaladharan explained that connector design is also evolving to support higher mating cycles and rough usage conditions.“Earlier connectors were designed for around 50 mating cycles, whereas newer systems are being designed for 5,000 to 10,000 cycles,” he said.He added that users often disconnect connectors without switching off power sources, particularly in commercial vehicle applications such as autorickshaws. This requires connectors to support higher durability and current-handling capability.The company announced a second-quarter 2026 dividend of $0.25 per share, payable July 15th, 2026, to shareholders of record as of June 23rd, 2026.Looking ahead, Amphenol expects second-quarter 2026 sales between $8.1 billion and $8.2 billion, representing a 43% to 45% increase over the same period last year.The executives acknowledged the indirect benefits from localization policies and government initiatives such as the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. Shah added that manufacturers setting up operations in India would benefit from sourcing components locally rather than importing them.Discussing product differentiation, Shah said Amphenol focuses on functionality, reliability, and convenience through its distributed manufacturing network across different markets.While connector manufacturing fundamentals remain largely unchanged across application areas, copper continues to be the primary material for power transmission. Manufacturing methods have evolved from machined components to stamped designs.Shah added that future technologies may include non-contact charging systems for vehicles, but the core connector structure involving plastic and metal integration is expected to remain the same.Shah and Kaladharan advised OEMs and EV manufacturers to design systems with future technologies in mind, including Ethernet-based vehicle architectures and advanced interconnect technologies already being adopted globally.“Future-ready interconnect design is becoming more important as vehicle architectures move toward higher software integration and data communication requirements,” Shah and Kaladharan concluded.A System Architect’s Guide to Multi-Die InterconnectPCB Procurement Shifts to Multilayer &amp; HDI BoardsYashasvini Razdan is the Senior India Correspondent for EE Times. With a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from Mumbai University and a post-graduate diploma in business journalism, she has served in various senior editorial roles in leading Indian electronics and business publications, where she reported on semiconductor innovations, deep tech startups and the Indian electronics ecosystem. She is passionate about combining her technical know-how and journalistic acumen to chronicle the evolution of India’s electronics ecosystem for a global audience.You must Register or Login to post a comment.This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.</div>

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The shift towards software-driven systems and higher current requirements is increasing demand for advanced connectors in EVs, industrial systems, and data centers. Amphenol executives noted that connectors are now considered early in design processes, with shorter development cycles expected. The company reported a 58% year-over-year sales increase to $7.6 billion in Q1 2026, driven by growth in IT datacom markets and acquisitions. They are also adapting to decentralized architectures to manage weight and power distribution in vehicles, while addressing thermal management challenges due to rising power densities.

Rising EV and AI Loads Bring Connectors Into Early Design Decisions