Semicon India 2025: Vikram-32 Chip = Digital Diamond, 7 Points

Delhi

1. Historic Launch of Vikram-32 Chip

   • Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented India’s first indigenously developed 32-bit microprocessor – Vikram-32 (VIKRAM3201) – to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of Semicon India 2025.

   • PM Modi called semiconductors the “digital diamond” of the modern era, emphasizing their importance for India’s technology and innovation ecosystem.

2. What is the Vikram-32 Chip?

   • The Vikram-32 (VIKRAM3201) is a 32-bit microprocessor designed for space missions.

   • Developed by ISRO’s Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh, it is engineered to endure extreme space environments and rocket launches.

3. Origin and Development

   • Designed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and fabricated at SCL’s 180nm CMOS facility in Mohali, Punjab.

   • Successor to VIKRAM1601, a 16-bit processor powering ISRO’s launch vehicles since 2009.

   • Inducted into ISRO’s programme in March 2025, alongside the KALPANA-3201 microchip.

4. Key Features of Vikram-32

   • 32-bit architecture for higher efficiency and data processing.

   • Supports floating-point computation for complex aerospace calculations.

   • Equipped with a custom Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) for space applications.

   • Programmable in Ada language (widely used in aerospace engineering).

   • In-house developed software tools – compiler, assembler, linker, and simulator.

   • Future support planned for C programming language.

5. Applications Beyond Space

   • While designed for satellites and rockets, the Vikram-32’s rugged architecture makes it suitable for:

     • Defence systems

     • Aerospace technologies

     • Advanced automotive solutions

     • High-reliability energy systems

6. Strategic Importance for India

   • A milestone achievement under the India Semiconductor Mission (2021) and Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme.

   • Reduces India’s dependence on imported microchips, advancing Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) in semiconductors.

7. Semicon India 2025 Highlights

   • A three-day global semiconductor conference to boost India’s chip fabrication and semiconductor ecosystem.

   • Focus areas: chip design, AI integration, advanced packaging, R&D, investments, and policy frameworks.

   • Government approved ₹1.60 lakh crore investments across 10 major projects in six states.

   • Construction of five new semiconductor units underway.

   • Over 23 chip design startups being supported under the DLI scheme.