IIT Delhi creates India's first homegrown micro-GPU chip

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have unveiled a working prototype of an indigenously designed micro-Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), marking a significant milestone in India's efforts to build domestic semiconductor capabilities.

The micro-GPU, developed by researchers in IIT Delhi's Electrical Engineering department, represents the first fully functional, demonstrable indigenous GPU design from India. Currently, all graphics processors used in the country are imported from foreign manufacturers, making the development particularly significant for reducing import dependence across multiple sectors.

GPUs have become essential components in modern computing hardware, powering artificial intelligence systems, machine learning applications, and advanced graphics processing. The IIT team achieved this breakthrough by implementing a custom floating-point GPU engine entirely in Register Transfer Language (RTL) and deploying it on a Spartan-7 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) platform.

The scalable micro-GPU architecture developed by the institute is designed to enable indigenous graphics and display-processing systems for embedded applications, potentially opening doors for domestic development of semiconductor solutions across multiple industries. The successful demonstration validates the technical feasibility of designing high-performance graphics processors within India, experts said.