IIT Madras and ISRO Develop Indigenous Shakti-Based Semiconductor Chip

In February 2025, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed and successfully an indigenous aerospace-grade Shakti-based semiconductor chip, named IRIS (Indigenous RISC-V Controller for Space Applications).

About the IRIS Chip

 

1. Foundation & Technology:
   1. The IRIS chip is based on the SHAKTI microprocessor, developed by IIT Madras.
   2. It utilizes the RISC-V architecture, an open-source processor technology.
   3. Developed under the ‘Digital India RISC-V’ (DIRV) initiative, backed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
2. Predecessors & Evolution:
   1. IRIS is the third SHAKTI-based chip, following RIMO (2018) and MOUSHIK (2020).
   2. While RIMO and MOUSHIK were technology demonstrators, IRIS is optimized for performance and reliability.
       

Key Features of IRIS
 

1. Designed for Space Applications:
   1. Supports ISRO’s command and control systems.
   2. Enhances reliability with fault-tolerant internal memories.
   3. Includes custom modules such as watchdog timers and advanced serial buses.
   4. Configured to meet the computing requirements of ISRO’s existing sensors and systems.
2. Future-Ready & Scalable:
   1. Supports multiple boot modes.
   2. Provides hybrid memory/device extensions for future missions.
3. Fully Indigenous Manufacturing:
   1. Conceptualized by IISU, Thiruvananthapuram.
   2. Designed & developed at IIT Madras.
   3. Fabricated at Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh (180 nm technology node).
   4. Packaged by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd., Karnataka.
   5. Motherboard PCB manufactured in Gujarat; software developed and tested at IIT Madras.
       

Significance of IRIS
 

1. Advances India’s ‘Make in India’ mission:
   1. Demonstrates India’s capability in end-to-end semiconductor design and fabrication.
   2. Strengthens India's position in the global semiconductor industry.
2. Strategic Importance:
   1. Reduces dependence on foreign semiconductor technology.
   2. Enhances national security by indigenizing critical components for space missions.
   3. Enables the development of advanced microprocessor-based products.
3. Applications Beyond Space:
   1. Can be utilized in launch vehicles, ground stations, IoT, and industrial IoT applications.
       

Understanding RISC-V and SHAKTI
 

What is RISC-V?
 

1. RISC-V (Reduced Instruction Set Computing - V) is an open-standard Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).
2. Unlike proprietary ISAs, RISC-V is freely available for customization.
3. Provides a flexible and cost-effective alternative to commercially available architectures.

India’s Contribution to RISC-V
 

1. SHAKTI Series (IIT Madras): India’s first indigenous RISC-V microprocessors.
2. VEGA Microprocessors (C-DAC): Another initiative to develop India’s microprocessor ecosystem.