The Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, has entered into an agreement with Bengaluru-based BigEndian Semiconductors to support the development of an indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) Vision System-on-Chip (SoC). The company will receive financial assistance of ₹130 crore under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.
The initiative, known as Project VeerAI, has a total estimated project cost of ₹260 crore. The project is aimed at advancing an application-specific semiconductor platform from Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-5 to TRL-9, taking it from advanced technology development towards commercial deployment. The financial assistance will be extended through the Optional Convertible Debt (OCD) mechanism.
Project VeerAI is focused on creating a camera-centric AI Vision SoC designed on a sovereign technology platform. The proposed chip is intended to address the growing demand for secure, intelligent and specialised semiconductor solutions, particularly in applications where data security, privacy and reliable connectivity are critical.
The initial focus of the project is the CCTV and surveillance sector, where AI-enabled chips can support intelligent processing and smart functionality at the device level. The development is also intended to reduce reliance on externally developed semiconductor technologies and supply chains for critical applications.
According to the project vision, the proposed platform will integrate AI processing capabilities with security, privacy and connectivity features. While surveillance is the initial target market, the technology has been designed with wider applications in mind. Future deployment areas could include defence, automotive, industrial and medical sectors, thereby creating opportunities for an indigenous semiconductor platform across multiple industries.
The project also highlights the role of India’s expanding VLSI design and semiconductor talent pool. By converting domestic design expertise into a scalable and commercially deployable product, the initiative seeks to strengthen the country’s semiconductor ecosystem. The focus on application-specific SoCs is intended to address specialised industry requirements while supporting quicker adaptation and commercialisation.
Indigenous semiconductor capabilities have become increasingly relevant as connected devices and intelligent systems are being integrated into critical infrastructure and everyday applications. Application-specific AI chips can provide device-level intelligence while addressing requirements associated with data protection, privacy, security and technological self-reliance.
With support from the RDI Fund, BigEndian Semiconductors will undertake activities covering further technology development, validation, integration, testing and scale-up. These efforts are expected to help Project VeerAI progress from its current TRL-5 stage towards TRL-9, which represents a technology demonstrated in an operational environment.
TDB Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak said that semiconductors form the foundation of many emerging technologies and that developing indigenous application-specific AI chips is an important component of strengthening India’s technology ecosystem. He noted that the RDI Fund is designed to provide sustained support to technologies requiring substantial investment to move from advanced development to commercial deployment.
The promoters of BigEndian Semiconductors said the TDB assistance would help accelerate the development and validation of Project VeerAI and move the AI Vision SoC closer to commercial readiness. They highlighted the project’s focus on creating a secure, application-specific semiconductor platform for surveillance and other critical sectors while making use of India’s domestic semiconductor design capabilities.
The agreement represents another step towards expanding India’s indigenous semiconductor capabilities and translating local research, engineering and design expertise into deployable technology products for strategic and commercial applications.
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Author: Shivam
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