Chennai: IIT Madras and ISRO have successfully developed and booted an aerospace-grade semiconductor chip based on the SHAKTI microprocessor, marking a major step towards 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' in space technology.

The project, led by Prof. V. Kamakoti at IIT Madras' Prathap Subrahmanyam Centre for Digital Intelligence and Secure Hardware Architecture (PSCDISHA), is part of the 'Digital India RISC-V' (DIRV) initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and IT. The IRIS (Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications) chip, derived from SHAKTI, was designed to meet ISRO's command and control system needs.

ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Thiruvananthapuram, defined the specifications, while Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh, manufactured the chip. It was packaged by Tata Advanced Systems, Karnataka, and successfully booted at IIT Madras.

Prof. Kamakoti emphasized the achievement as a validation of India's self-sufficiency in semiconductor design and fabrication. ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan hailed it as a milestone in India's "Make in India" efforts, with plans for future spaceflight testing. SCL Director General Kamaljeet Singh reaffirmed SCL's commitment to advancing indigenous semiconductor technology in collaboration with academia and industry.

This breakthrough strengthens India's position in semiconductor manufacturing for strategic applications.