VIKRAM 3201 MICROPROCESSOR

Current Context: India unveiled its first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor Vikram 3201 at the Semicon India 2025 conference.

 ABOUT VIKRAM 3201

• Developed by: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
• Fabricated at: ISRO’s Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh
• Predecessor: Vikram 1601 (16-bit, used in launch vehicles since 2009)
• Purpose: Specially designed for rockets and satellites (not consumer devices)
• Functions:
  • Navigation
  • Control and mission management in launch vehicles
  • Real-time calculations to ensure rocket stability and course accuracy

KEY FEATURES

• Military-grade design: Works in –55°C to +125°C, resistant to vibration, heat, radiation
• Upgrades over Vikram 1601:
  • Supports 64-bit floating-point operations
  • Compatible with Ada programming language
  • On-chip 1553B bus interfaces for secure communication
• Significance: First time India has indigenously designed and fabricated a processor of this scale for launch vehicle avionics