On 18th August 2020, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology launched the “Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge- Innovate Solutions for #Aatmanirbhar Bharat” to provide a strong ecosystem of startups, innovation and research in India.
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Center for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC) have developed two microprocessors named SHAKTI (32 bit) and VEGA (64 bit) respectively using Open Source Architecture under the aegis of Microprocessor Development Programme of Ministry of Electronics and IT.
About the Program:
i.Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge is a part of the series of Effective, advanced and standardized measures taken by the ministry of Electronics and IT to enhance the technology guided innovative ecosystem in India and to stay on top of digital adoption.
ii.This is available to the students at all levels and startups, which demands the contestants to facilitate the Swadeshi Processor IPs with the innovative solutions for the needs of the society.
iii.The challenge provides access to the entire home grown ecosystem around the Swadeshi Processors to the contestants to develop a complex design to provide the future global and domestic requirements.
Features:
i.Technology resources which include internship opportunities and regular technical guidance from the best VLSI & Electronics System Design Experts in India will be offered to the contestants.
ii.Along with the technical resources, business mentorship & funding support, facilitated by Incubation Centres is also offered.
iii.At the various stages of the challenges financial support to the tune of Rs.4.30 crore will be offered for developing the hardware prototype and incubation of a startup.
Awards:
- Gold Certificate (Winners) – 10 teams will receive a total of Rs.2.30 Crore will be awarded as the seed Fund for incubating the startup.
- Silver Certificate (Finalists) – 25 teams will receive a total of Rs.1 crore will be awarded as prototype development fund.
- Bronze Certificate (Semi Finalists) – 100 teams will receive a total of Rs.1 crore as MCP/POC Development Fund and Free access to Swadeshi Processors and FPGA Board.
Note:
The registration process of the challenge at https://innovate.mygov.in/ started on 18th August 2020 and the last date for the registration is 15th September 2020 and the final results will be announced in June 2021.
Recent Related News:
i.The ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ for Indian tech entrepreneurs and startups was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, with an objective to support and build Aatmanirbhar App Ecosystem.
ii.Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, launched “YUKTI 2.0” – (Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation 2.0), a platform to support the startups incubated in the institutes of higher education over the virtual platform.
About Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology(MeitY):
Union Minister– Ravi Shankar Prasad
Minister of State– Sanjay Dhotre
