Ø TDB-DST signs
agreement with BigEndian Semiconductors for
₹130 crore RDI support to develop indigenous AI Vision SoC
Ø Project VeerAI
to advance secure, application-specific semiconductor technology from TRL-5 to
TRL-9
·
The Technology Development Board (TDB),
under the Department of Science & Technology, has agreed to provide ₹130 crore to
Bengaluru-based BigEndian Semiconductors through the Research Development and
Innovation (RDI) Fund.
·
The funding, structured as Optional Convertible Debt,
will support Project VeerAI, which has a total cost of
₹260 crore.
·
The project aims to advance a
camera-focused AI Vision System-on-Chip (SoC) from Technology Readiness Level 5 to Level 9,
including development, validation, testing and scale-up.
·
VeerAI is designed as a secure,
application-specific chip platform, initially targeting CCTV and surveillance
systems in India and the Global South.
·
The platform aims to combine AI
processing, connectivity and smart features with security and privacy
capabilities, reducing reliance on externally developed technology and supply
chains.
·
The company sees potential future
applications in defence, automotive, industrial and medical sectors.
·
TDB says the funding is intended to help
translate India’s semiconductor design expertise into products ready for
commercial deployment.
[ABS News Service/05.10.2026]
Strengthening India’s efforts to
build indigenous semiconductor capabilities for critical and emerging
applications, the Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science
& Technology (DST), Government of India, has signed an agreement with M/s BigEndian Semiconductors, Bengaluru, Karnataka for
financial support of ₹130 crore under the Research Development and
Innovation (RDI) Fund.
The project, Project VeerAI, has a total project cost of ₹260 crore and
aims to take the technology from Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-5 to TRL-9.
The financial support will be provided through Optional Convertible Debt (OCD).
Project VeerAI seeks to develop a camera-focused AI
Vision System-on-Chip (SoC) on a sovereign technology platform, addressing the
growing requirement for secure, intelligent and application-specific
semiconductor solutions.
The project is positioned around the
development of a secure AI chip for surveillance applications, particularly
CCTV systems, with the objective of reducing dependence on externally developed
semiconductor and technology supply chains. The proposed platform is designed
to combine AI processing and smart features with security, privacy and
connectivity capabilities. The technology is being developed initially for CCTV
and surveillance applications in India and the Global South, with a roadmap for
deployment across multiple sectors. Beyond surveillance, the platform is
envisaged for applications in defence, automotive, industrial and medical
domains, creating a wider market for indigenous AI-enabled semiconductor
solutions.
The project also seeks to leverage
India’s growing VLSI design and semiconductor talent, translating domestic
design capabilities into a scalable product platform. By focusing on
application-specific SoCs rather than general-purpose chips, the programme aims
to address specific industry requirements while enabling faster technology
deployment and commercialisation. The development of indigenous AI and
semiconductor technologies has growing significance as connected devices and
intelligent systems become increasingly embedded across critical
infrastructure. Secure and application-specific chips can play an important
role in addressing requirements related to data security, privacy, device-level
intelligence and technology sovereignty.
Through the RDI support, BigEndian Semiconductors will undertake further technology
development, validation, integration, testing and scale-up activities required
to progress Project VeerAI from TRL-5 to TRL-9.
Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB,
said, “Semiconductors
are foundational to almost every emerging technology, and building indigenous
capabilities in application-specific AI chips is an important part of
strengthening India’s technology ecosystem. The RDI Fund enables sustained
support for technologies that require significant investment to move from
advanced development to commercial deployment. The support to BigEndian Semiconductors reflects TDB’s focus on enabling
Indian companies to develop strategic semiconductor capabilities and translate
domestic design expertise into deployable products.”
Promoters of BigEndian
Semiconductors said, “The RDI support from TDB will enable us to accelerate
the development and validation of Project VeerAI and
take our AI Vision SoC towards commercial readiness. Our focus is on building a
secure, application-specific semiconductor platform that can address the
requirements of surveillance and other critical sectors while leveraging
India’s indigenous semiconductor design capabilities. This partnership will
help us progress the technology towards TRL-9 and contribute to the development
of a stronger domestic semiconductor ecosystem.”