MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar Promotes the Bright Future of India’s DIR-V Program at Digital India RISC-V Symposium

The Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Symposium, organized by IIT Madras, witnessed a virtual address by Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. During his speech, he highlighted the government’s vision for DIR-V, aiming to create a robust ecosystem for RISC-V through effective public-private partnerships and collaborations with esteemed academic institutions like IIT Madras.

Launched last year, the DIR-V program aims to bolster India’s semiconductor ecosystem by developing advanced microprocessors. Minister Chandrasekhar emphasized that DIR-V will unleash tech opportunities for all players in the industry, contributing significantly to India’s techade goals.

“The Future is Bright, the Future is DIR-V for India,” proclaimed Rajeev Chandrasekhar, highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the initiative. He stressed that the program’s success will be driven by the innovation and creativity of Indian engineers and startups. The Minister emphasized the key principles for the coming years in the DIR-V program: innovation, functionality, and performance. The Government of India is committed to establishing DIR-V as the Indian ISA (Instruction Set Architecture).

As the digital world becomes more complex with the emergence of 5G and 6G, the demand for silicon chips is soaring, along with the discovery of new applications. Rajeev Chandrasekhar foresees a future where DIR-V-based chips, devices, and systems will be integrated into various digital products, from cloud services to mobile devices, IoT to 5G, and 6G networks.

While acknowledging the continued activities in the x-86 and ARM space, the Minister underscored that the primary focus is on the DIR-V program. High-performance computing goals, led by C-DAC and supported by public-private partnerships, will be centered around DIR-V.

Furthermore, Rajeev Chandrasekhar highlighted the significance of going beyond basic functionality and striving to develop cutting-edge systems that set new global standards. The ambition of India’s techade spans the automotive industrial space, IoT, mobility, and computing, including high-performance computing. The Minister encouraged the DIR-V community and ecosystem to aim for functional systems that also push the boundaries of cutting-edge technology.

Praising the collaboration between IIT Chennai and C-DAC, especially concerning the DIR-V program, Minister Chandrasekhar emphasized how such partnerships create a hub for creativity and innovation. IIT Chennai has emerged as a beacon for academic institutions and entities interested in the rapidly advancing semiconductor and electronics ecosystem.

The one-day symposium showcased various tech innovations, with active participation from startups, students, and academicians from the industry.