Taped out on Republic Day, working by Independence Day: India unveils its first home-designed broadband chip, Vihaan-I
The chip inside your home broadband router was very likely made abroad. A Chennai-based startup now says it has built an Indian alternative.
At Semicon India 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, Aheesa Digital Innovations unveiled Vihaan-I, which it describes as India’s first indigenously designed broadband networking chip. The unveiling took place in the presence of Union Minister for Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw.
A chip with two national dates
Vihaan-I’s timeline carries symbolism. The chip was taped out on Republic Day, January 26, 2026, meaning the design was finalised and sent for manufacturing. It achieved first-pass silicon success on Independence Day, August 15, 2026, meaning the first manufactured version worked without needing a redesign. Chip designers treat that as a mark of engineering maturity.
What it does
According to the company, Vihaan-I brings the core functions of the internet equipment found in homes and offices onto a single chip. It...
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