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India’s ambition to become a self reliant force in global semiconductor manufacturing has taken a meaningful step forward with Mindgrove Technologies preparing to commercially launch the country’s first indigenously designed Secure IoT chip. Incubated at IIT Madras and headquartered at the institute’s research park in Chennai, the startup is positioning itself at the forefront of a sector that India has long depended on foreign suppliers to serve.
A Chip Built for India’s Needs
At the heart of Mindgrove’s offering is a system-on-chip built on the open source RISC-V architecture, clocked at 700 MHz on a 28nm fabrication node. Unlike proprietary chip architectures that come with licensing costs and restrictions, RISC-V allows Indian designers the freedom to customise and innovate without royalty burdens. The chip is designed to serve a broad range of applications including smart wearables, biometric devices, smart meters, point of sale terminals, and industrial equipment — sectors that collectively drive demand for over a billion chips annually in India alone.
One of the chip’s most commercially significant attributes is its pricing advantage. Mindgrove estimates that its Secure IoT chip can reduce device costs by up to 30% compared to equivalent imported chips, a margin that could meaningfully improve the competitiveness of Indian electronics manufacturers operating in cost-sensitive markets.
Bridging the Gap Between Silicon and Product
Designing a chip is only part of the challenge. Getting it into finished products requires a robust downstream ecosystem. To address this, Mindgrove has entered into a two-year commercial partnership with Pinetics, a Pune-based electronics design and original design manufacturing firm. Under this agreement, Pinetics will develop systems on module around Mindgrove’s silicon, enabling the chip to be integrated into biometric access control systems, smart locks, and camera based applications. This collaboration addresses a longstanding gap in India’s electronics sector, where the journey from chip design to finished product has historically been fragmented.
Early Demand and the Road Ahead
Early traction is already visible, with several companies testing prototype versions of the chip. Demand is particularly strong from biometric systems used in telecom onboarding and identity verification — two areas witnessing rapid expansion as India deepens its digital infrastructure. To mitigate supply chain risks, Mindgrove is also putting in place arrangements with backup suppliers, ensuring continuity of production independent of global disruptions.
Looking ahead, the company is developing a Vision SoC targeted at edge computing applications including CCTV surveillance, automotive dashcams, and advanced driver assistance systems, with a commercial launch anticipated by late 2026.
A Blueprint for Semiconductor Self Reliance
Mindgrove’s journey reflects a broader national imperative. With India’s semiconductor market projected to exceed $100 billion by 2030, the need for homegrown chip design capabilities has never been more urgent. Government initiatives such as the Design Linked Incentive scheme have provided critical early stage support, including funding for Mindgrove’s Vision SoC development. What distinguishes this moment, however, is not policy alone — it is the emergence of commercially viable Indian silicon finding its way into real products used by real consumers. That transition, from prototype to production, is where India’s semiconductor story truly begins.
