Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: In a significant feat for the country to become a global semiconductor hub, Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on September 2 presented the first made-in-India processor, along with test chips from four approved projects, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor, called ‘Vikram,’ has been developed by ISRO’s Semi-conductor Laboratory (SCL).
It is designed to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of space launch vehicles, marking a milestone in India’s efforts to reduce dependency on imported chips. Vaishnaw highlighted the rapid progress of India’s semiconductor infrastructure at the ‘Semicon India 2025’ event.
“Just a few years ago, we met for the first time to make a new beginning driven by our Prime Minister’s farsighted vision, we launched the India Semiconductor Mission. In a short span of 3.5 years, we have the world looking at India with confidence,” said the minister.
“Today, the construction of five semiconductor units is going on at a rapid pace. We just presented the first ‘Made-in-India’ chip to PM Modi,” he told the gathering. India’s semiconductor journey has gained momentum under the Semicon India Programme.