At SEMICON India 2025, the Government of India marked a significant milestone in the nation’s journey toward semiconductor self-reliance with the unveiling of the Vikram 32-bit processor, developed indigenously for space applications.

The announcement was made by Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, who showcased the breakthrough before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, symbolically handing over the processor and associated test chips as part of India’s strengthening capabilities in critical semiconductor design and manufacturing.

This historic achievement placed India in the elite group of nations that can design, fabricate, and deploy space-grade processors capable of operating in extreme conditions with uncompromising reliability.

The Vikram 3201 microprocessor, jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, is the first indigenously designed and qualified 32-bit processor built specifically for use in launch vehicles.

Its successful development and qualification represent a technological leap from the earlier VIKRAM1601, a 16-bit processor that has reliably powered Indian launch vehicles since 2009. By moving from 16-bit to 32-bit architecture, India has markedly strengthened its ability to cater to complex mission requirements, high-speed data handling, and advanced guidance, navigation, and control systems in rockets.

The processor’s design makes it suitable for use in one of the most challenging environments known to engineering—space launch—where electronics must survive wide-ranging stresses such as radiation, vibration, and extreme temperature fluctuations spanning -55°C to +125°C.

From a technical standpoint, the Vikram 3201 is versatile, incorporating a general-purpose 32-bit architecture, support for 64-bit floating-point operations, compatibility with the high-level Ada programming language, and integration with key avionics interfaces such as the on-chip 1553B data bus.

It has been fabricated using 180nm CMOS technology at the SCL’s in-house facilities, making it a completely indigenous product without dependence on external vendors. Beyond hardware, ISRO and SCL teams have worked extensively to create a fully indigenous development ecosystem around the processor.

This ecosystem consists of compilers, assemblers, linkers, simulators, and integrated development environments. Currently, Ada language support has already been validated, while a C language compiler is being developed to provide additional flexibility in future mission designs.

This ecosystem ensures that India not only controls the production of processors but also the frameworks and software tools necessary for their optimal use.

The processor’s capabilities are not limited to the laboratory. The Vikram 3201 has already demonstrated success in actual mission conditions. Its first production batch was officially handed over to ISRO leadership in March 2025 and subsequently used in the PSLV-C60 mission, where it powered the Mission Management Computer of the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-4).

This real-world validation confirmed its robustness and readiness for integration into critical launch vehicle systems. Alongside the Vikram processor, four additional indigenous avionics devices were delivered to ISRO. These included two variants of a Reconfigurable Data Acquisition System, a Relay Driver IC, and a Multi-Channel Low Drop-out Regulator IC, each aimed at miniaturising and optimising avionics subsystems to improve efficiency, reliability, and modularity in modern rockets.

Adding to the momentum of indigenous innovation, India also introduced the Kalpana 3201 microprocessor at SEMICON India 2025. Unlike Vikram, which is custom-built for launch vehicle applications, Kalpana is a 32-bit SPARC V8 RISC processor, designed with support for open-source development toolchains.

This reflects a dual-track approach by India’s semiconductor program—on one hand, highly customised chips for critical missions and national security applications, and on the other, open-architecture processors meant to expand India’s semiconductor design ecosystem for broader research, educational, and commercial deployment.

The pairing of Vikram and Kalpana processors highlights the country’s ambition not merely to achieve import substitution but to foster deep-rooted capability in research, design, and fabrication, in line with the Government’s vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India).

The significance of Vikram 3201 extends far beyond its technical specifications. It symbolises India’s transition from a reliance on imported microelectronics to in-house indigenous design, fabrication, and deployment of mission-critical hardware.

Space-grade processors represent some of the most demanding and sensitive applications in global semiconductor manufacturing, requiring resilience against environmental stresses, zero failure tolerance, and long-term operational predictability. With Vikram 3201, India has now cemented its position among a handful of technologically advanced nations capable of delivering such high-reliability solutions.

The achievement also strengthens national security by reducing dependence on foreign supply chains for sensitive electronics, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for a domestically nurtured semiconductor ecosystem that can support both civil and defence applications in the years to come.

The unveiling of the Vikram 3201 microprocessor at SEMICON India 2025 is more than a technological milestone—it is a strategic leap forward for India’s space program and semiconductor ambitions.

By combining the efforts of ISRO, SCL, and the Ministry of Electronics and IT, India has demonstrated the ability to design, build, and qualify microprocessors entirely within its own borders, create the ecosystems that sustain them, and deploy them in live missions with confidence.

This achievement solidifies India’s entry into the global league of semiconductor technology leaders and lays a strong foundation for future innovation in aerospace, defence, and advanced technology industries.

Based On Money Control Report