India is set to unveil a prototype for its first indigenous graphics processing unit (GPGPU) by the end of this year, marking a significant step toward self-reliance in advanced semiconductor technologies.
A senior government official confirmed that the technology demonstrator will serve as a proof of concept for domestic GPU design capabilities and that 29 prototype units will be produced in the initial phase.
“This year will be a technology advancement year. The focus is on building and validating the core chip. We are targeting production of 29 general-purpose GPU units as part of the tech demonstrator,” the official told Moneycontrol.
General-purpose GPUs are another name given to modern-day GPUs, which are used not just for rendering images (as originally designed), but also address computing needs.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has given the mandate of developing the GPU to the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), an autonomous body under the IT ministry.
The official said that the core architecture of the GPU, referred to internally as a "1xK" design, will be developed indigenously.
However, the official also underscored the need for a whole-of-ecosystem approach for building out the chip's functionality.
“You need a lot of support IPs—USB, memory controllers, peripheral blocks. No single entity can do all of that. These are high-cost and high-complexity components, and it makes sense to collaborate,” the official said.
In that context, sources said, multinational companies like AMD and Nvidia could help India in this regard. However, it is not yet known the role these companies will play in the GPU's development.
"For our locally designed GPUs, block design is encrypted, and the encryption key will remain with us. We give it to global players, and they will use it while manufacturing for us. The IP at the software and design levels will stay with us," another senior government official told Moneycontrol.
Until recently, India’s chip designs were reliant on foreign intellectual property (IP) blocks, leaving products susceptible to restrictions due to geopolitical or commercial issues.
The official pointed out that the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) focuses on building and registering key IPs domestically. “The difference now is that we’re not just buying and assembling. The IP will be Indian. That ensures we can’t be denied access at critical moments,” the official noted.
Post successful demonstration of the technology, commercial-scale production is expected to follow. The official expects wider deployment by the end of this decade.
“By 2030, we expect the prototypes to transition into fully scalable products. Fabs will be ready by then, and India will start making these chips in volume,” the official said. “This is not just a chip. It’s about building a no-denial ecosystem,” he added.
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