Recently, India launched DHRUV64, the nation’s first fully indigenous 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core microprocessor. 

About DHRUV64

• Technical Architecture: It is a high-performance 64-bit dual-core processor based on the Reduced Instruction Set Computer-V (RISC-V) open-source architecture, which eliminates intellectual property (IP) licensing costs.
  • RISC-V is an “open-source language” that allows computers to talk to hardware. 
  • Unlike Windows or Intel, which are “closed” and require expensive licenses, RISC-V is free for anyone to use and modify.
• Aim: To establish India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM).
• Milestone Achieved: DHRUV64 is the third chip fabricated under the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Programme with an overall aim to enable creation of Microprocessors for the future in India.
  • The first chip, THEJAS32, was fabricated at the Silterra facility in Malaysia.
  • The second chip, THEJAS64, manufactured domestically at Semiconductor Lab (SCL) Mohali, India.
  • In addition, the design, implementation, and fabrication of DHANUSH64 and DHANUSH64+ System on a Chip (SoC) variants are currently under development.
• Development Authority: The chip was designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Microprocessor Development Programme (MDP) initiated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Strategic Applications: It is engineered for critical sectors like 5G infrastructure, Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Automation, and Automotive Systems, ensuring data security and technological sovereignty.
• Domestic Ecosystem: Before DHRUV64, India developed several key processors to ensure digital sovereignty:
  • SHAKTI (2018): Developed by IIT Madras; the first indigenous RISC-V processor.
  • AJIT (2018): Developed by IIT Bombay for low-power applications.
  • VIKRAM (2025): Developed by ISRO-SCL for strategic space missions.
  • THEJAS64 (2025): A C-DAC developed high-performance processor preceding DHRUV64.
• Significance: 
  • High performance & reliability enabled by out-of-order execution and advanced fabrication.
  • Strengthens indigenous processor capability for both strategic and commercial sectors.
  • Boosts self-reliant microprocessor ecosystem through open-source architecture, eliminating licence costs and enabling scalable, long-term deployment.

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