India’s semiconductor landscape is witnessing a significant transformation, driven by visionary startups and cutting-edge academic initiatives. At the heart of this revolution is ,[object Object],, a promising Indian startup co-founded by Neel Gala, who also serves as the Chief Technology Officer. ,InCore Semiconductors, emerged from the intellectual grounds of the ,[object Object], at ,[object Object],, one of India’s pioneering efforts to develop indigenous chip designs based on the ,[object Object], open-source instruction set architecture. The Shakti project, led by Prof. V. Kamakoti at ,IIT Madras,, aims to create industrial-grade processors that are royalty-free, open-source, and capable of competing globally in terms of area, power, and performance. InCore builds upon this foundation by focusing on turning the academic prototypes into market-ready products, addressing both technical challenges and real-world application demands.

Neel Gala’s journey from a PhD researcher to becoming a key architect behind this breakthrough reflects the synergy between academic innovation and entrepreneurial grit. The Shakti microprocessor project began as an open-source initiative to design scalable ,RISC-V, cores, which has since evolved into producing multiple processor variants for diverse applications ranging from IoT devices to desktop computing. The processors are fabricated using advanced semiconductor technologies like 22nm FinFET and 180nm CMOS, providing a versatile platform for different market needs. ,IIT Madras, and ISRO’s collaboration, which successfully booted an aerospace-grade Shakti chip, demonstrates India’s growing self-reliance in strategic semiconductor capabilities, marking an important milestone in the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) vision.

,InCore Semiconductors,, formally founded in 2018, now takes this effort a step further by developing proprietary processor IPs inspired by the Shakti ecosystem but customized for commercial viability. Their core products—such as Azurite and Calcite—target niche segments including low-power applications like smart meters and higher-performance use cases like networking systems and wearables. Unlike purely academic designs, InCore emphasizes product readiness and practical engineering optimizations to make the processors shippable and scalable. The startup’s approach involves fab-agnostic IP development, allowing customers to choose any semiconductor foundry for manufacturing, thus broadening marketability. InCore’s recent $3 million seed funding led by Peak XV signals strong investor confidence in their vision to capture and grow the nascent Indian semiconductor market.

Beyond product development, InCore strives to nurture a holistic semiconductor ecosystem within India. Collaborations with industry partners like HCL and Tessolve enable the design of complete chip solutions tailored for domestic applications such as electricity meters and camera modules. This ecosystem-building effort is crucial as India builds the infrastructure needed for chip design, manufacturing, and supply chain independence. By leveraging open-source architectures, homegrown talent, and strategic partnerships, ,InCore Semiconductors, and the Shakti project collectively illustrate a new chapter in India’s technological self-sufficiency—a future where the country not only designs but also produces world-class chips that can compete on the global stage.