Government backs BigEndian with ₹130 crore for indigenous AI chip

The Technology Development Board has signed an agreement with Bengaluru-based BigEndian Semiconductors for ₹130 crore of support. The funding comes under the Research Development and Innovation Fund. The project is named VeerAI.
The total project cost is ₹260 crore. It aims to develop a camera-focused AI Vision System-on-Chip on a sovereign technology platform. The goal is to move the technology from Technology Readiness Level 5 to Level 9.
A vision chip combines specialised processing for camera and image workloads. Indigenous capability in such systems matters because critical applications now depend on secure, specialised semiconductor technology. The project will use Optional Convertible Debt as its support instrument.
The Technology Development Board works under the Department of Science and Technology. It funds technology development by Indian companies. The agreement marks one of the larger recent bets on home-grown chip design.
The support instrument is Optional Convertible Debt. BigEndian will move the chip design from Technology Readiness Level 5 toward Level 9, which means a system proven in an operational environment.
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