Meet Vikram, India's 1st indigenous 32-bit microprocessor made by ISRO
What's the story
India has unveiled its first-ever indigenous 32-bit microprocessor, dubbed Vikram. The announcement was made at the Semicon India 2025 conference by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. The chip, developed by ISRO's Semiconductor Laboratory, is specifically designed for space launch vehicles and will help reduce India's dependence on imported processors.
Development
Vikram processor a major milestone
The Vikram processor marks a major milestone in India's semiconductor journey. Vaishnaw presented the processor along with test chips from four approved projects to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the conference. He also highlighted that construction of five semiconductor units is underway, with one unit's pilot line already completed and two more expected to start production soon.
Vision realization
Vaishnaw credits PM Modi's vision
Vaishnaw credited PM Modi's vision for the success of the semiconductor mission. He recalled their first meeting a few years ago, where they launched the India Semiconductor Mission. "In a short span of 3.5 years, we have the world looking at India with confidence," Vaishnaw said at the conference. The Minister also highlighted India's stability amid global policy turmoil and encouraged investors to consider India due to its stable policies and rising demand.
Design dominance
India's semiconductor ambitions
The launch of Vikram is just the beginning of India's semiconductor ambitions. A Bastion Research report states that almost 20% of the world's chip design engineers are based in India, making it a major player in global semiconductor design. Global tech giants such as Qualcomm, Intel, NVIDIA, Broadcom and MediaTek have set up large R&D and design centers in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Noida for the same.
Initiatives
Push for self-reliant semiconductor sector
The achievement highlights India's policy push to build a self-reliant semiconductor sector. The Semicon India Programme, launched in 2021 under the Indian Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 1.0, offers incentives worth roughly ₹76,000 crore to attract global manufacturers. The launch of Vikram and ongoing semiconductor projects highlight New Delhi's efforts to make India a hub for chip manufacturing and design, key for both economic growth and strategic independence.