India Preps RISC-V Processors

Two 64-bit projects run in parallel

Rick Merritt, EETimes
1/27/2016 10:20 AM EST

SAN JOSE, Calif.—An R&D division of the Indian government is in line to receive about $45 million before June to fund the development of its first 64-bit microprocessor. The project would become the second in India to design a CPU based on the RISC-V instruction set, following the Shakti designs in the works at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras.

The projects show the increasing sophistication of India’s semiconductor sector. However it’s not clear if either effort will result in commercially deployed products, and both face challenges retaining skilled chip designers at a time when engineering salaries in India are rising and job hopping is common.

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