At Semicon India 2025, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented India’s first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor Vikram-32 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a major milestone in the country’s semiconductor ambitions. Designed by ISRO’s Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) and fabricated in Mohali using its 180 nm CMOS facility, the chip continues the legacy of the earlier Vikram-1601 and is poised as a reliable solution for critical technologies.

Vikram-32 (also known as VIKRAM3201) supports floating-point computation, includes a custom instruction set, and is compatible with high-level languages like Ada with a C compiler under development. Its progenitor, the 16-bit Vikram-1601, has been active in ISRO missions since 2009. Testing on orbit specifically the PSLV-C60 mission validated its reliability under harsh launch conditions.

Beyond symbolism, the unveiling underscores India’s push toward technological self-reliance, aligning with its broader semiconductor mission, and reflects confidence in homegrown chip design and manufacturing