Indian Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday presented the Vikram 32-bit processor, the first made-in-India chip, to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Semicon India 2025 in Delhi.
The Indian union minister also presented PM Modi with test chips of four approved projects after the latter inaugurated Semicon India 2025.
What is Vikram?
Developed by the Semiconductor Lab of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Vikram is India's first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor, qualified for use in harsh launch vehicle conditions.
The fabrication and packaging of the chips have been done at the Semiconductor Hub in Punjab's Mohali.
Semiconductor company CG-Semi is expected to roll out the first 'Made in India' chip from the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) pilot facility in Sanand, Gujarat. The Narendra Modi government had approved the first proposal for establishing a semiconductor unit in Sanand back in 2023.
Through the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, 23 chip design projects have been sanctioned to support startups and innovators. Companies like Vervesemi Microelectronics are creating advanced chips for defence, aerospace, electric vehicles, and energy systems, showing that India is no longer just a consumer but a creator.
The government of India had launched the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in 2021. That mission seems to have borne fruit in just three and a half years.
As of the date, the Indian government has approved 10 semiconductor manufacturing projects with a cumulative investment of more than ₹1.60 lakh crore in six states: Gujarat, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
Source: Hindustan Times
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
