India’s First Indigenous 32-Bit Space Microprocessor: VIKRAM3201
On September 2, 2025, India marked a significant technological milestone with the unveiling of VIKRAM3201, the nation’s first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor designed for space applications. The announcement was made at the Semicon India 2025 conference.
Technical Specifications
Developed in a joint effort by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Chandigarh, the VIKRAM3201 chip is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures ranging from -55°C to +125°C. It is constructed on a 180nm CMOS process. The processor boasts a custom instruction set architecture, floating-point computation capability, and support for the Ada programming language.
Strategic Importance
Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented the chip to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, symbolizing a significant stride towards India’s semiconductor self-reliance under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. This chip replaces foreign processors that India previously relied on for critical space missions.
Global Context
While the VIKRAM3201 matches international space-grade processors like the U.S. RAD750 and Europe’s LEON chips in capability, it signifies India’s entry into an exclusive club of nations with indigenous space-grade processor technology. The chip has already been successfully tested on PSLV-C60’s mission platform.
As part of India’s broader push to establish a complete domestic semiconductor ecosystem, five semiconductor fabrication units are currently under construction. These projects represent $18 billion in planned investments.
Source: Free Press Journal