New Delhi: India’s first indigenous chip, Dhruv64, was unveiled on Monday. It is a 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core microprocessor and is a completely indigenous CPU developed by the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Microprocessor Development Program (MDP). It was introduced under the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) initiative, which supports chip design, testing and prototyping using the open-source RISC-V architecture. Dhruva64 is designed to power various electronic devices including industrial systems and connected gadgets. This development strengthens the country’s ability to produce processors locally, thereby reducing dependence on imports.

Dhruv64 features and details
The microprocessor is the brain of any electronic system, be it a smartphone, computer, medical device, industrial controller or Internet of Things (IoT) device. It executes the instructions that run the software and performs the hardware functions. For example, in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, the custom-built Qualcomm Orion CPU is the microprocessor itself.

Dhruv64 is built using the RISC-V architecture, which is an open, royalty-free set of computer instructions that designers can use without licensing fees. This differs from many traditional processor designs which require expensive licensing. The openness of RISC-V makes it easier for Indian researchers, startups and companies to collaborate, experiment and innovate with chip design. The clock speed of this microprocessor is 1.0GHz and it has 64-bit dual-core architecture. The design versatility and reliability make it suitable for 5G infrastructure, automotive systems, consumer electronics and industrial automation.

Most countries import a large portion of their microprocessors. India uses about 20 percent of the world’s microprocessors, but has historically produced very few of them. Indigenous designs like Dhruva64 are meant to reduce this dependency and create an ecosystem where companies, academics and startups can prototype and scale new computing products at lower costs. Using indigenous chips for critical infrastructure like defense technology is also a safe option from the security point of view.