In an exclusive interview, E Magesh, Director General of C-DAC, details India’s ambitious roadmap for technological sovereignty.
The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is building self-reliance for India in high-performance computing, microprocessors and IT & electronics sectors. It leads the design and development of indigenous processors and is also engaged in core research in AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, Indian language computing, and quantum technologies, contributing to overall technological sovereignty. In this interview, E Magesh, director general, C-DAC, speaks to Sudhir Chowdhary on the R&D organisation’s recent achievements and key focus areas. Excerpts:
As a technologist, what excites you the most? What’s the next big tech you’re looking at?
I get excited with the convergence of technologies. When multiple technology innovations come closer and work together to create something more powerful than their respective individual portions. For example, integration of AI and edge computing which brings intelligence closer to the source of data, enabling real-time monitoring and intelligent decision-making in critical systems like, smart grids, and industrial automation. Another example is hybrid quantum where a quantum computer and classical high performance computing systems work together.
I am looking at quantum computing as the next big technology which we can watch growing faster. I am also looking at RISC-V which is open, customisable, and ideal for sovereign computing. C-DAC is aligning its futuristic vision with a concise and clear roadmap in these emerging technology domains.
How is C-DAC planning for high performance computing?
In the current global scenario, becoming self-reliant in semiconductor technologies has become utmost important. Under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), C-DAC has spearheaded the development of indigenous high performance computing (HPC) technologies. The compute nodes – RUDRA, Interconnect network – Trinetra, HPC System software stack has already been developed under NSM. The servers designed by C-DAC are currently getting manufactured domestically by Indian electronics manufacturing service (EMS) companies.
As a next step towards achieving indigenisation in HPC technologies, C-DAC is developing HPC processor “AUM” – a 96-core dual-chiplet based system on chip (SoC). Tested samples of AUM processors will be available by early 2027. Our indigenous AI Accelerator chiplet will enable packaged AI chips targeted for inference and training workloads. This will take India towards full self-reliance in AI technologies (from AI hardware to AI applications).
What are the key priorities right now?
C-DAC has charted a two-pronged framework to boost India’s digital self-reliance: (i) Mission mode programmes (MMPs) in key technology domains and (ii) Sector-specific centres of excellence (CoEs). The five missions of C-DAC – Exascale, quantum computing, IoT, AI, and cyber security will drive focused innovation and next-gen tech deployment. Complementing this, the CoEs will infuse indigenous technologies into critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, smart cities, and more.
Acting as collaborative hubs with government, academia, and industry, the CoEs aim to align R&D with sectoral needs, reduce foreign dependence, and build a resilient, self-sufficient, and globally competitive technology ecosystem.
A digital centre of excellence (DCoE) for the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways has recently been established at Mumbai. This CoE shall foster collaboration in R&D in niche technology domains and drive digital transformation in the Indian maritime sector.
Tell us about your efforts in microprocessor development? Are you exploring software design?
C-DAC is significantly contributing to India’s self-reliance in microprocessor design through the microprocessor development programme (MDP) funded by MeitY. Under this initiative, we have developed the VEGA series of processors based on the open-source RISC-V ISA. The VEGA family forms the backbone of India’s indigenous processor ecosystem, catering to applications from low-power embedded systems to scalable computing platforms. With trusted supply chains and full IP ownership, India is uniquely positioned to lead in this domain.
VEGA processors include 32-bit and 64-bit variants, ranging from simple in-order cores for embedded use to high-performance out-of-order cores for complex computing. They support Linux and various RTOS environments. C-DAC has also built a robust software stack – GCC, assemblers, debuggers – enabling developers to build and optimise applications on VEGA platforms. This hardware-software co-design empowers sectors like automotive, IoT and industrial automation.
Building on VEGA’s success, C-DAC is now developing next-gen HPC-class microprocessors. These superscalar, multi-core architectures will power India’s future exascale systems. A parallel software roadmap includes advanced compilers, libraries, runtimes, and profiling tools to ensure seamless integration with the supercomputing infrastructure. Together, VEGA and the HPC-class processors form a scalable, indigenous roadmap that strengthens India’s position in global microprocessor innovation and supports the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
What efforts is C-DAC taking to develop AI, blockchain solutions?
C-DAC has been at the forefront of deploying AI solutions across India’s critical sectors, including agriculture, cybersecurity, healthcare, governance, and language technologies. In partnership with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), we have developed AI tools to combat cybercrimes against women and children. Our Annadarpan-Smart system uses computer vision to automate food grain quality grading, enhancing procurement transparency.
C-DAC leads in language and speech AI, offering voice-based access to mandi prices. The ManTra Machine Translation system, once used even within Parliament, has now evolved into transformer-based multilingual AI models that power India’s digital governance efforts. In healthcare, innovations like SightSaver aid retinal disease diagnosis, while autism assessment tools leverage behavioural and emotion analysis.
C-DAC also pioneers Permissioned Blockchain adoption through the National Blockchain Framework (NBF), a MeitY initiative akin to global efforts like EBSI of Europe and China’s BSN. Collaborating with NIC, IIT Hyderabad, IDRBT, IIIT Hyderabad, and SETS, we have developed the Vishvasya tech stack, enabling secure, scalable blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) applications. Hosted on NIC’s distributed infrastructure, Vishvasya supports government use cases such as education certificates, e-stamps, and mobile app origin verification.
What are the factors that have contributed to the advancement of AI?
Hardware and compute infrastructure are not just enablers – they are the bedrock of modern AI. Every major AI breakthrough, from computer vision to large language models, has followed advances in computing techniques and hardware acceleration. AI has never evolved in isolation; it has always progressed alongside compute innovation.
Generative AI, for instance, didn’t emerge overnight. Transformer architectures have existed since 2017, but their true leap in intelligence and creativity came only when paired with scalable GPUs, TPUs, AI accelerators, and national-scale cloud supercomputing. This fusion of smarter algorithms and extreme compute power delivered models like GPT, Gemini, and AlphaFold.
India’s infrastructure has powered AI research, deep learning training, and real-time analytics across healthcare, education, agriculture, energy, climate science, and digital governance. By democratising access to AI compute for universities, researchers, start-ups, and innovators, it has accelerated innovation and built national capability. C-DAC’s AI supercomputer ‘AIRAWAT’ is envisioned to promote our own foundational models rather than rely on external systems.
What is your future roadmap and long-term strategy?
The government’s vision for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047 places technology at the heart of national progress. C-DAC envisions a dynamic ecosystem driving innovation in AI, quantum computing, and space tech. It will strengthen domestic research & innovation, catalyse transformative ideas, and establish a robust innovation framework. Through strategic initiatives, C-DAC aims to deliver societal, economic, and technological impact, ensuring India’s global leadership and technological sovereignty in the coming decades. Innovation and collaboration will define the future of a developed India.
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