India’s first indigenous 32-bit microprocessor ‘Vikram-32’ launched

At Semicon India 2025, the country’s first indigenous 32-bit microprocessor, Vikram-32, was presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Vikram-32 has been designed for navigation, guidance and mission management in ISRO’s rockets and satellites.

• With the unveiling of the country’s first indigenous 32-bit microprocessor, Vikram-32, a major leap has been made in its semiconductor journey.
• On September 02, 2025, at Semicon India 2025 in New Delhi, this milestone presented by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlights India’s growing technological autonomy and its ambition to become a global hub of chip manufacturing.
• India launched the India Semiconductor Mission in 2021 to reduce dependence on foreign microprocessors. In just three and a half years, the country has moved from being a major consumer to becoming a producer of advanced chips.
• In this program, Prime Minister Modi described semiconductors as “digital diamonds” and emphasized their important role in the modern era. The presentation of the chip is both a technological and symbolic milestone, reaffirming India’s position as an emerging semiconductor power.

Vikram-3201

• The microprocessor, officially called VIKRAM3201, was designed by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and manufactured at the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali using the 180nm CMOS process.
• This 32-bit chip is the successor to the Vikram-1601 16-bit processor, which has powered ISRO’s launch vehicles since 2009. It represents significant advances in speed, accuracy and capability.
• Vikram-32 is powered by a 32-bit microprocessor and operates on a single 3.3V supply with a clock speed of 100 MHz. It is designed for efficiency, drawing less than 10 mA of idle supply current and consuming less than 500 mW of power during operation.

Technical features

• 32-bit architecture for advanced data processing capability. Floating-point computation capability for precise navigation and guidance functions. Custom instruction set architecture (ISA) optimized for space applications.
• Support for the Ada programming language, widely used in aerospace systems. Toolchain developed by ISRO, including compiler, assembler, linker and simulator. Operable between -55°C and +125°C, vibration and radiation resistant.
• Successfully tested in space through the PSLV-C60 mission.

Applications and broader implications

• Vikram-3201 has been designed for navigation, guidance and mission management in ISRO’s rockets and satellites, providing robust and reliable performance even under adverse conditions.

Government initiatives for semiconductor manufacturing in India

• India Semiconductor Mission (ISM): Approved in 2021, it is the nodal agency to develop a sustainable and globally competitive semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India.
• This development is in line with India’s Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, which supports local chip design, manufacturing and packaging. Commitments of more than ₹1.60 lakh crore have already been made for semiconductor investment under broad production-linked incentive programs.