India advances in high-performance computing with new indigenous processor

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has made significant strides in the field of high-performance computing (HPC) by partnering with MosChip Technologies and Socionext Inc. for the development of an indigenous HPC processor, named AUM. This initiative marks a crucial step towards the complete indigenization of supercomputing technologies in India.

The AUM processor is based on the Arm Neoverse V2 CPU platform, featuring cutting-edge 5nm technology from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC). This collaboration not only enhances India’s capabilities in chip design but also aligns with the government’s vision of achieving technological sovereignty.

Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), highlighted the progress of the indigenization process, stating, “Our indigenization efforts have reached more than 50% with server nodes, interconnects, and system software stack. Now for complete indigenization, we are aiming to develop indigenous HPC Processor AUM”. He emphasized the government’s commitment to leveraging supercomputing for national development and establishing global leadership in technology.

Dr. Praveen Kumar S, Head of Scientific Divisions at the Department of Science and Technology, remarked on the significance of this achievement, “Today’s announcement is a significant achievement in chip design. It demonstrates India’s capability in indigenous development in the field of high-performance computing. These ventures in consortia mode in partnership with industry are the need of the hour”.

The development of the AUM processor involves C-DAC’s indigenous compute node RUDRA, Trinetra-Interconnect, and a system software stack. Further enhancing the project’s scope, Keenheads Technologies, an Indian startup, has been engaged as the Program Management Consultant (PMC).

Shri E Magesh, Director General of C-DAC, also expressed optimism about the collaboration’s potential, noting, “This collaboration is designed to meet the evolving demands of High-Performance Computing & related applications and aims to design, develop, and produce an indigenous HPC processor that not only meets global standards but also propels India to the forefront in the supercomputing arena.”