Explained: What India’s indigenous space-grade chip gets right (and wrong)

On September 2, India’s first 32-bit microprocessor was launched at Semicon India 2025, a three-day event in Delhi. Called VIKRAM3201, the microprocessor has been designed and developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of ISRO in collaboration with Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh.

It is a 32-bit processor, best suited for space missions. It is an advanced successor to the 16-bit processor called Vikram1601, that has been used in ISRO’s launch vehicles since 2009.

The chip was showcased amid much fanfare, with dignitaries such as PM Narendra Modi and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in attendance. Notably, the initial lot of the chip was validated in space in the Mission Management Computer of the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-4) in the PSLV-C60 mission. Post validation, the processor was formally handed over for production use in March 2025, six months before it was demonstrated at the Delhi event.

Features of VIKRAM3201

The VIKRAM-3201 chip has been fabricated on a 180 nm CMOS process, which may sound modest compared to the cutting-edge 3 nm and 5 nm chips powering smartphones and other domestic use cases. But in the world of space electronics, 180 nm is a sweet spot. While not comparable to high-performance commercial CPUs or larger RISC cores in clock or computational throughput, this is expected given its design goals focused on reliability, precision, and radiation resistance.

Further, the processor supports a custom instruction set, and comes with a complete homegrown Ada software toolchain, with a C compiler also under development. To be sure, Ada programming language is known for its reliability and is crucial for safety-focused systems like launch vehicles and satellites.

VIKRAM3201 is built to withstand the harsh conditions of spaceflight. It operates reliably between –55 °C and +125 °C, consumes under 500 mW of power, and runs at 100 MHz on a single 3.3 V supply.

How does it compare to other similar chips

Starting with VIKRAM3201 own predecessor, VIKRAM-1601, a 16-bit processor has been flying in the Avionics system of ISRO’s launch vehicles since 2009 and entered full production in India after SCL set up its 180 nm fab in 2016.

Globally, for decades, the backbone of global space missions has rested on a handful of ultra-reliable processors. The RAD750, built by BAE Systems in the US and based on IBM’s PowerPC 750, has been the workhorse since the 2000s, powering NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover, the James Webb Space Telescope, among othe projects. Its successor, the RAD5545, has a quad-core design on a 45 nm process; it is only beginning to see flight adoption.

Europe, meanwhile, has its homegrown LEON series of processors—open-source designs that have found their way into Galileo navigation satellites and European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth observation fleet. The latest iteration, the GR740, offers higher performance with reliability. Beyond the US and Europe, countries like Russia, Chinam and Japan have developed indigenous space-grade processors.

Lastly, in March, along with VIKRAM3201, another processor called KALPANA-3201, was handed over to ISRO. Unlike its counterpart, KALPANA-3201 is built on the IEEE 1754 SPARC V8 standard, giving it compatibility with open-source software toolchains and broader aerospace development ecosystems.

Gaps that need attention

India’s VIKRAM3201 microprocessor marks a significant step toward technological self-reliance, but experts caution that the achievement comes with caveats. Fabricated on a 180 nm CMOS process, the chip is nearly two decades behind commercial processors. Although it is deliberate, it still serves a very niche use case.

In terms of performance, VIKRAM3201 is modest. Running at 100 MHz, it is sufficient for mission management and control tasks in launch vehicles and satellites, but falls short of handling complex operations such as onboard artificial intelligence or autonomous navigation, for now. Chips like the RAD750 and GR740 run at up to 200-250 MHz.

Critics also point to the limitations of India’s fabrication capacity. VIKRAM3201 is produced at SCL in Chandigarh, which operates on legacy 180 nm technology and has struggled to modernise or scale. Without significant investment to upgrade fabrication facilities, India may still find itself lagging behind for more advanced missions. It may, however, be noted that in early 2025, MeitY issued a tender for a ₹4,000 crore upgrade of the existing 8-inch, 180 nm CMOS fabrication line, aiming to nearly double its output capacity.