Can an Indian-designed chip bring fibre broadband closer to the home? A broadband SoC has achieved first-pass silicon success using an indigenous processor.
Aheesa Digital Innovations, an Indian fabless semiconductor startup focused on broadband networking and security chips, has achieved first-pass silicon success with VIHAAN, a networking System-on-Chip (SoC) designed for fibre broadband applications. The chip was built using the indigenous VEGA microprocessor and is now set to proceed towards production tape-out targeted for 2027.
The development addresses the growing requirement for locally designed silicon as optical fibre and broadband infrastructure expands. A dedicated networking SoC can integrate processing and connectivity functions required by broadband equipment, potentially reducing reliance on externally designed components for communication infrastructure.
VIHAAN was taped out on Republic Day and achieved first-pass silicon success on Independence Day, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. First-pass success indicates that the fabricated design achieved its intended silicon-level functionality without requiring another design iteration before validation.
The chip is purpose-built for fibre broadband, placing the development at the intersection of semiconductor design and telecom infrastructure. Its architecture incorporates the VEGA microprocessor, an indigenous processor technology developed as part of India’s efforts to build domestic processor capabilities.
The successful silicon validation also moves the design beyond simulation and pre-silicon verification towards production readiness. Following the first-pass result, the design is expected to progress towards production tape-out in 2027, after which further validation and customer-oriented development can take place.
The development comes under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, which supports domestic semiconductor design for applications including telecom equipment, IoT, automotive systems, aerospace, defence, and AI. The scheme has helped Indian chip-design companies access design infrastructure and move designs towards fabrication.
For fibre broadband equipment, having an India-designed SoC could provide a domestic option for networking hardware while building local expertise in complex digital chip design. The first-pass result also demonstrates that an indigenous processor can be incorporated into a fabricated networking SoC and successfully validated in silicon.
