India has marked a major semiconductor milestone as Chennai-based Aheesa Digital Innovations achieved first-pass silicon success with its VIHAAN broadband chip, built on the indigenous VEGA processor core.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT confirmed that the chip will move towards production tape-out in 2027, strengthening India’s self-reliance in fibre broadband technology.

A tape-out is the final phase of the integrated circuit or semiconductor chip design process. It occurs when the final layout file (usually in GDSII or OASIS format) is sent to a manufacturing foundry to produce the photomasks used for fabrication.

The VIHAAN chip was taped out on Republic Day this year and achieved first-pass silicon success on Independence Day. This symbolic timing underscores its importance as a national achievement in semiconductor design. The chip is a 28-nanometre networking System-on-Chip that integrates compute, broadband access, and system control on a single die.

It is built using the VEGA processor core developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing under the RISC-V architecture. This open-source instruction set architecture allows flexibility, security, and independence from foreign proprietary cores, aligning with India’s strategic goal of technological sovereignty.

The chip is designed specifically for optical fibre access networks. These networks are used by telecom operators to deliver last-mile connectivity to homes and offices, a critical requirement as India expands its digital infrastructure through broadband and 5G services. By deploying VIHAAN, operators can reduce reliance on imported silicon and strengthen domestic supply chains.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT confirmed on 15 August that the chip will now proceed towards production tape-out, targeted for 2027. This step will enable commercial manufacturing and deployment in India’s fibre broadband ecosystem.

The achievement is part of the broader Design Linked Incentive program, which supports Indian start-ups in semiconductor design across applications such as satellite communications, drones, defence systems, automotive electronics, IoT devices, and smart meters.

Aheesa Digital Innovations, a fabless semiconductor start-up headquartered in Chennai, has positioned itself as a key player in broadband networking and security. The company raised approximately ₹40 crore earlier this year from the Tamil Nadu Emerging Sector Seed Fund and private investors. This funding is intended to accelerate product development and support growth in the semiconductor space.

The government has emphasised that semiconductor chip design contributes up to 50 per cent of overall value addition in the semiconductor value chain and accounts for 15–35 per cent of the bill of materials cost of electronic products.

Under the DLI program, chip-design tools have been made available to 455 organisations, including 350 academic institutions and 105 start-ups, to foster innovation and workforce development. Additionally, under the Chips to Start-up program, 245 chip designs have been taped out by 71 academic institutions.

The VIHAAN chip represents not only a technological breakthrough but also a strategic milestone in India’s semiconductor journey. It strengthens the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision by reducing dependence on foreign designs and ensuring secure, indigenous solutions for critical broadband infrastructure.

The success of VIHAAN also demonstrates investor confidence in India’s deep-tech ecosystem, with more than $100 million raised cumulatively by DLI-backed firms.

This achievement places Aheesa Digital Innovations among the leading Indian start-ups contributing to the country’s semiconductor roadmap. With production tape-out scheduled for 2027, VIHAAN is expected to play a pivotal role in enabling fibre broadband connectivity across homes and offices, supporting India’s digital transformation and global competitiveness in semiconductor technology.

Agencies