Explained: RISC V- Semiconductor tech to give India ‘seat at the table,’ challenge global domination

India has thrown its weight behind the open-source RISC-V architecture. The technology is said to be gaining ground as a global contender to the domination of Softbank‘s ARM technology. The aim is to be self-reliant in semiconductor design. India’s computing systems will leverage DIR- V (Digital India RISC V) program and will have a serious presence in all the capabilities that we need in the automotive, space tech, IoT sensors and mobility, minister of state for electronics and information technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said at the recent Digital India RISC-V Symposium organized by MEITY and IIT-Madras in Chennai.

RISC-V stands for ‘Reduced Instruction Set Computer’, and ‘V’ stands for the fifth generation. The DIR-V program, launched last year, aims to boost India’s semiconductor ecosystem by creating advanced microprocessors. The minister spoke about how DIR-V will create tech opportunities for the industry.
“Today, for India, the Future is Bright; the Future is DIR-V. Our Prime Minister has already declared that this initiative will define India’s techade and present numerous tech opportunities. This will be driven by the creativity and innovation of our engineers and startups in India. Innovation, functionality and performance — these are the mantras for the coming years for the DIR-V program. The government of India is fully committed to making DIR-V the Indian ISA (Instruction Set Architecture),” he said.

What is RISC-V ISA
RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) that enables the development of custom processors for various end applications. Unlike proprietary processor architectures, RISC-V is open and was originally developed at the University of California, Berkeley.
It is the fifth generation of processors built on the concept of the reduced instruction set computer (RISC). RISC-V has gained popularity in recent years due to its technical merits and openness. It is now managed by RISC-V International, which boasts over 3,000 members. By the end of 2022, more than 10 billion chips containing RISC-V cores had shipped. RISC-V has numerous open-source core and commercial IP product implementations available.
RISC-V processors have a wide range of applications, including wearables, industrial devices, IoT devices, and home appliances. They are ideal for limited space and battery-powered designs. RISC-V cores can be customised for specific needs, including smartphones, automotive, HPC, and data centers. With extensions, they can also offer energy efficiency and reliability for aerospace and government use.
How does RISC-V ISA work
RISC-V is an open-standard architecture that gives designers the freedom to customise their processors for specific needs. The ISA is royalty-free and has a small core set of instructions, with optional extensions for different end markets. It’s ideal for embedded applications, microcontrollers, and has potential for high-performance computing and data centres.
How is RISC-V ISA beneficial for India’s chip ecosystem
RISC-V architecture offers simplified processor instructions for various tasks, enabling quick custom processor development. A common ISA simplifies software development, and RISC-V is open-standard, allowing for industry collaboration and innovation. Unique features can be customised, and smaller, energy-efficient options are available. Security features are also present with open-source reference designs and software analysis tools. Public scrutiny eliminates back doors and hidden channels.
The RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) is challenging the status quo with its free and open nature, driving unprecedented levels of innovation and pushing Moore‘s Law beyond its limits. The aim is to establish India as a RISC-V Talent Hub for the World and a supplier of RISC-V SoC (System on Chips) for Servers, Mobile devices, Automotive, IoT & Microcontrollers worldwide.
India boasts a thriving ecosystem of chip designers in academia, scientific societies, and startups, all vying for a share in the growing RISC-V market. Now is the opportune time to showcase India’s strides in the global RISC-V community and unveil the Digital India RISC-V Processor roadmap to the world.