India has taken a significant step forward in its semiconductor journey with the unveiling of Dhruv64, the country’s first indigenous 64-bit, 1.0GHz dual-core microprocessor. Designed and developed entirely within India, Dhruv64 represents a major milestone in the nation’s ambition to reduce dependence on imported chips and build sovereign capability in critical technology domains.

At a time when semiconductors are central to economic growth, national security, and technological leadership, the launch of Dhruv64 reinforces India’s commitment to becoming self-reliant in strategic industries, including defence, critical infrastructure, and high-performance computing.

What Is Dhruv64?

Dhruv64 is a homegrown microprocessor developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Microprocessor Development Programme (MDP). The project is aligned with national initiatives such as the Digital India RISC-V programme, which aims to promote indigenous chip design, verification, and prototyping within the country.

Built on a 64-bit architecture and clocked at 1.0GHz, Dhruv64 features a dual-core design that enables higher computational capability compared to earlier indigenous processors. According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the chip has been designed to meet both commercial and strategic requirements, ensuring it can be deployed across a wide range of use cases.

A Strategic Boost for India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

India currently consumes nearly 20 per cent of the world’s microprocessors, yet relies heavily on imports to meet this demand. Dhruv64 offers a critical domestic alternative, helping to reduce supply-chain vulnerabilities and improve technology sovereignty.

By enabling local manufacturing and design, Dhruv64 strengthens India’s semiconductor pipeline and provides a foundation for startups, academic institutions, and industry players to build indigenous hardware solutions. This development also complements the government’s broader push under initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Why Dhruv64 Is Important for National Security and Defence

One of the most significant aspects of Dhruv64 is its relevance to defence and strategic infrastructure. Imported processors often come with security concerns, including limited transparency and potential vulnerabilities. A domestically developed microprocessor allows India to exercise greater control over its hardware stack.

With its modern 64-bit architecture and higher performance, Dhruv64 is suitable for deployment in secure systems, defence platforms, and mission-critical applications where reliability and trust are paramount. This makes it a valuable asset for strengthening India’s defence technology ecosystem.

Expanding Use Cases: From Embedded Systems to High-Performance Computing

Dhruv64’s architecture enables it to support a broad spectrum of applications. Beyond defence, the processor can be utilised in:

Embedded systems

Industrial automation

Critical infrastructure

Research and academic computing

High-performance computing workloads

Its enhanced performance and scalability mark a clear evolution from earlier indigenous chip efforts, opening the door to more advanced and efficient hardware solutions tailored to India’s unique requirements.

Building Momentum for Future Indigenous Chips

Dhruv64 is not a standalone achievement but part of a growing roadmap for indigenous processor development. Following its successful unveiling, next-generation processors such as Dhanush and Dhanush+ are already under development. These upcoming chips are expected to deliver further improvements in performance, efficiency, and application readiness.

The momentum generated by Dhruv64 is likely to attract increased investment, research, and collaboration across India’s semiconductor ecosystem, accelerating innovation in local chip design.

Part of a Larger Indigenous Technology Push

The launch of Dhruv64 comes just months after ISRO introduced the Vikram 32-bit chip, highlighting a broader national effort to develop homegrown processors for space, defence, and civilian applications. Together, these developments signal a clear shift toward technological self-reliance and reduced dependence on foreign semiconductor technologies.

Conclusion

With Dhruv64, India has achieved a landmark breakthrough in indigenous microprocessor development. As the country’s first 64-bit, 1GHz dual-core chip, it lays the foundation for a stronger, more secure, and self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem.

By empowering critical industries, enhancing defence capabilities, and supporting innovation across academia and industry, Dhruv64 stands as a powerful symbol of India’s growing confidence and capability in advanced technology development. As future processors like Dhanush and Dhanush+ take shape, Dhruv64 may well be remembered as the turning point that accelerated India’s journey toward semiconductor independence.