India Could Launch the First Indigenous Chipset by 2023-24: MoS IT

Open source design of computer chipsets RISC-V is becoming a global movement with India as a leading player, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said here on Wednesday.

While speaking at RISC-V Technology Conference organised by Tenstorrent, the minister said Indian startups using RISC-V have tremendous opportunities for developing products, devices and AI solutions with global companies like Tenstorrent evincing interest for collaborations.

“RISC-V is becoming a global movement with India as a leading player,” Chandrasekhar said.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has started the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) programme to launch the first indigenous chipset by 2023-24 and boost the local development of electronic chips.

“We are living in extremely interesting times for technology space and in the next five years, centres of gravity will be rebuilt around newer geopolitics and newer talent pools. Young Indians are going to shape the future of Semicon design and build and create new products, new devices and new solutions,” the minister said.

Chandrasekhar, himself a former chip designer, welcomed the move by legendary chips designer Jim Keller’s decision to set up his startup Tenstorrent’s office in India.

Keller is known for his work in designing the AMD K7 processor, which was the first computer chipset to achieve 1 gigahertz processing speed, AMD K8 processors, Apple A4 and A5 chipsets and later his role for the leading design team at AMD.

The Apple A4 chip was used to build the first iPad.

“I am happy that within a year of the launch of the 1st Semicon India Conference by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, global semicon leaders like Jim Keller are moving to India and catalysing future design startups in the country. The time and place for RISC-V is India and Bengaluru is the capital of RISC-V innovation,” Chandrasekhar said.