In order to make India a leading chip design and manufacturing nation, startups, students and entrepreneurs will play a crucial role in developing Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V)-based chips and systems, further catalyzing the semiconductor ecosystem while adopting open-source technologies, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The minister flagged off the nationwide roadshow on the DIR-V program, jointly organized by C-DAC, IEEE India Council and Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), with participation from global leaders in the RISC-V design area. SHAKTI processors by IIT Madras and VEGA processors by C-DAC are anchoring the DIR-V ecosystem, enabling collaboration with startups and entrepreneurs.

C-DAC has also created a series of ARIES development boards based on the VEGA chip. These development kits are fully indigenous and India-made products targeted for learning, embedded system design and IoT applications. The boards come with easy-to-use hardware and software. According to Chandrasekhar, the DIR-V program is playing a pivotal role in realizing the vision laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create and adopt open-source technologies. “Our prime focus is to enable the growth of the DIR-V ecosystem, aiming for India to emerge as a leading nation in innovating around the DIR-V family of chips and systems”, he said.

The minister highlighted how the program will ensure DIR V-based chips and systems are integrated into various digital products we use daily. “India has also embraced RISC-V in flagship government projects, witnessing growth in startup research and innovation around RISC-V. India hosts several startups working on RISC-V-based designs, which are also part of MeitY’s ‘future design’ initiative”, said the minister. The roadshow aims to provide 1,500 participants with valuable insights into the DIR-V VEGA series of processors and their ecosystem, covering both theoretical and practical aspects, including the use of development boards, SDK, and application development. Hands-on sessions will be conducted using the ARIES development boards, featuring video addresses by prominent global leaders. This event is being concurrently held at 15 academic institutions across the country.