The Technology Development Board has signed a Rs 130 crore agreement with Bengaluru-based BigEndian Semiconductors to develop an indigenous AI vision chip. The deal was signed on October 5 under Project VeerAI.

The funding comes from the Research Development and Innovation Fund and will be provided as optional convertible debt. The total project cost is Rs 260 crore.

The project aims to build a camera-focused AI Vision System-on-Chip on a sovereign technology platform. The goal is to move the technology from readiness level 5, or lab validation, to level 9, meaning proven in real-world use.

The chip is designed first for secure CCTV and surveillance systems in India and the Global South. Later, the platform is planned for use in defence, automotive, industrial and medical applications.

Officials say the project will cut dependence on foreign semiconductor supply chains. It also taps India’s growing chip-design talent to build application-specific processors rather than general-purpose ones.