At the Semicon India 2025 conference, Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled India’s first indigenous space-grade processor ‘Vikram 3201’ in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Developed jointly by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh, the launch is being seen as a major milestone in India’s semiconductor self-reliance drive.
Vikram 3201 is a 32-bit microprocessor designed to withstand extreme conditions of space, operating from –55°C to +125°C. Built to military-grade standards, it can resist radiation and vibration, making it reliable for use in rockets and launch vehicles. Its primary functions include navigation, control, and mission management during launches.
The processor brings a significant upgrade from the earlier Vikram 1601 (a 16-bit processor introduced in 2009). Vikram 3201 supports 64-bit floating-point operations, Ada programming language, and features an on-chip 1553B bus interface for improved communication. Manufactured at SCL’s Chandigarh facility using 180-nanometer CMOS technology, it is specifically tailored for aerospace applications.
The processor has already been space-tested during the PSLV-C60 mission, where it successfully powered the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-4). Following this success, ISRO plans to deploy Vikram 3201 widely across upcoming rocket launches.
In March 2025, ISRO also introduced another processor named ‘Kalpana 3201’, based on the 32-bit SPARC V8 RISC architecture with open-source toolchain support. Along with these, ISRO rolled out four more indigenous electronic devices, including two Reconfigurable Data Acquisition Systems, a Relay Driver IC, and a Multi-Channel Low Drop-out Regulator IC. These advancements are expected to significantly reduce India’s dependence on imported electronic components.
