VIHAAN: indigenous broadband networking chip achieves first-pass silicon success
Science & Technology · Monday, 17 August 2026
Chennai-based fabless semiconductor startup Aheesa Digital Innovations, supported under MeitY’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, achieved first-pass silicon success for its broadband networking SoC ‘VIHAAN’. The chip is described as India’s first domestically designed broadband networking SoC built on RISC-V and powered by the indigenous VEGA processor developed by C-DAC for broadband/FTTH customer premises equipment.
Quick highlights
- Developer: Aheesa Digital Innovations (Chennai), a fabless semiconductor startup.
- Support: MeitY Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme under India Semiconductor Mission/MeitY (as stated).
- Claim: India’s first domestically designed broadband networking System-on-Chip (SoC).
- Architecture: open-standard RISC-V; powered by indigenous VEGA processor developed by C-DAC.
- Use: optical fibre/broadband customer premises equipment (CPE), including Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployments and broadband routers.
- Functions: GPON/EPON fibre data processing; Gigabit Ethernet distribution; 64-bit VEGA core for routing, traffic inspection, QoS and firewall.
Context
Aheesa Digital Innovations achieved first-pass silicon success for its indigenous broadband networking SoC ‘VIHAAN’, supported under MeitY’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme.
Key Facts
As per the source: • VIHAAN: India’s first domestically designed broadband networking SoC. • Startup: Aheesa Digital Innovations (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), fabless. • Backing: DLI Scheme (India Semiconductor Mission / MeitY). • Architecture: RISC-V. • Processor: indigenous VEGA by C-DAC. • Purpose: high-throughput, secure telecom silicon for optical fiber and broadband CPE. • Use cases: FTTH deployments and broadband routers. • Technical functions: GPON/EPON fibre input; Gigabit Ethernet distribution; 64-bit VEGA core for routing, traffic inspection, QoS and firewall.
Significance
The development supports telecom hardware indigenisation and reduces reliance on imported networking chips, strengthening sovereign semiconductor capability for digital connectivity.
Challenges / Way Forward
The source does not list challenges. Scaling impact would require productisation, ecosystem adoption by OEMs/ISPs, and supply-chain and manufacturing pathways consistent with domestic semiconductor goals.
Exam Angle
GS3 (S&T/Economy): semiconductor ecosystem, telecom hardware, RISC-V, government incentives (DLI). Prelims: who developed (Aheesa), scheme (DLI), architecture (RISC-V), processor (VEGA by C-DAC).
Remember this
- VIHAAN achieved first-pass silicon success (as stated).
- Developer: Aheesa Digital Innovations (Chennai).
- Supported under MeitY’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme.
- Described as India’s first domestically designed broadband networking SoC.
- Built on RISC-V architecture.
- Powered by VEGA processor developed by C-DAC.
- Designed for broadband/FTTH customer premises equipment (CPE) and routers.
- Handles GPON/EPON fibre and Gigabit Ethernet; supports QoS and firewall functions.
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