The Technology Development Board, under the Department of Science and Technology, has signed an agreement with Bengaluru-based BigEndian Semiconductors for Rs 130 crore of support under the Research Development and Innovation Fund.

The funding will support Project VeerAI, a Rs 260-crore project to develop a camera-focused AI Vision System-on-Chip on a sovereign technology platform. The support will be provided through Optional Convertible Debt, HelloEntrepreneurs reported. A System-on-Chip packs a complete system, including the processor, memory and AI accelerators, onto a single chip.

The project aims to take the technology from Technology Readiness Level 5 to TRL 9, moving from advanced prototype to commercial deployment. The chip is designed initially for secure CCTV and surveillance applications in India and the Global South, reducing dependence on external supply chains.

TDB Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak said building indigenous application-specific AI chips is an important part of strengthening India’s technology ecosystem. The platform is also planned for defence, automotive, industrial and medical applications. The programme seeks to leverage India’s growing VLSI design and semiconductor talent to translate domestic design into deployable products.