Two MTech students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi have developed a working prototype of an indigenously designed micro-graphics processing unit (micro-GPU), marking a step forward in India’s efforts to build domestic semiconductor technology. The project was led by Nammi Akash and M. Ravi Teja under the guidance of professors Jayadeva and Kaushik Saha from IIT Delhi’s Department of Electrical Engineering. Demonstrated on a Spartan-7 field-programmable gate array (FPGA) platform, the design is intended for affordable embedded devices that require graphics and display processing rather than the intensive computing capabilities of high-end GPUs. IIT Delhi announced the development on September 24, 2026, describing it as the first working, demonstrable indigenously designed micro-GPU developed at an Indian university. IIT Delhi’s official announcement provides details of the research.
The team is now exploring the next stages of development, including an 8–16-core graphics processor architecture, a supporting compiler and graphics software tools, and an eventual application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) prototype using a 65-nanometre manufacturing process. The distinction is important: researchers have demonstrated the design on an FPGA, but a dedicated silicon chip has not yet been manufactured. The project could eventually support products such as e-rickshaw dashboard displays, industrial control panels, educational e-book readers and navigation systems. However, commercialisation will require further engineering, funding, chip fabrication and validation.
What Is IIT Delhi’s Micro-GPU?
A graphics processing unit, or GPU, is a specialised processor designed to handle graphics-related calculations and other workloads that benefit from parallel processing. GPUs are widely used in gaming computers, smartphones, industrial equipment, artificial intelligence systems and data centres.
IIT Delhi’s micro-GPU is designed for a narrower purpose. Instead of competing with powerful GPUs from companies such as Nvidia or AMD, it focuses on providing programmable graphics capabilities for embedded devices that have more limited performance and power requirements.
Embedded systems are computers built into larger products to perform specific functions. Examples include vehicle dashboards, industrial monitoring equipment, navigation terminals and electronic reading devices.
Many such products need to display numbers, charts, maps, symbols or simple graphical interfaces without requiring the processing power of a high-end graphics card. A compact, locally designed graphics processor could eventually help manufacturers develop specialised hardware for these applications.
According to IIT Delhi, the researchers have demonstrated programmable graphics rendering using a custom floating-point GPU engine. The design was implemented in Register Transfer Language (RTL), which describes the behaviour and movement of data within digital hardware.
The work represents a hardware architecture developed in India, rather than a finished, commercially available GPU chip.
How the Prototype Works
Demonstrated on a Spartan-7 FPGA
The researchers mapped their micro-GPU design onto a Spartan-7 FPGA platform. An FPGA is a programmable semiconductor device whose internal logic can be configured to implement different digital circuits.
Engineers frequently use FPGAs to test hardware designs before committing to the more expensive process of manufacturing a dedicated chip.
In this project, the FPGA provides a platform for demonstrating that the graphics-processing architecture can execute its intended functions. It allows the team to test the design and make changes without immediately fabricating custom silicon.
The approach also creates a pathway for further development. Once the architecture and supporting software have matured, the team can explore converting the design into an ASIC.
FPGA prototype versus a manufactured chip
| Development stage | What it means for the IIT Delhi project |
|---|---|
| Hardware architecture | The team designs the graphics processor’s internal logic |
| RTL implementation | The hardware behaviour is described in a form used for digital circuit design |
| FPGA demonstration | The design is mapped onto a programmable chip and tested |
| ASIC development | The design is prepared for manufacturing as a dedicated silicon chip |
| Fabrication and validation | A physical chip is manufactured and tested for performance, power consumption and reliability |
| Commercialisation | The technology is prepared for integration into products and production at scale |
The team has reached the FPGA demonstration stage and is working toward subsequent milestones. Fabricating a chip would introduce additional challenges involving physical design, manufacturing costs, testing and software compatibility.
Potential Applications of the Indigenous Micro-GPU
IIT Delhi’s micro-GPU is intended for applications where affordability, compact hardware and dependable graphics processing are more important than extremely high computing performance.
E-rickshaw dashboards and navigation systems
Electric rickshaws increasingly use digital displays to show speed, battery status, vehicle information and navigation details. A specialised graphics processor could potentially support these interfaces in affordable embedded systems.
The architecture may also be relevant to navigation terminals used by small inland fishing boats, where displays can provide route information and other operational data.
Any commercial application would still require integration with the vehicle’s electronics, power system, software and display hardware.
Industrial control displays
Factories and industrial facilities use human-machine interfaces (HMIs) to display equipment status, operating parameters, alerts and production information.
A low-cost graphics processor could help manufacturers develop locally designed display systems for industrial equipment. Potential advantages would depend on the processor’s performance, reliability, power consumption and total system cost.
Educational e-book readers
Digital reading devices need to render text, menus, page layouts and other interface elements efficiently. A specialised graphics architecture could potentially support low-cost educational readers and other digital-access devices.
The researchers have identified such devices among the intended applications of the project. However, the prototype has not been announced as a finished component ready for installation in commercial e-readers.
Affordable embedded electronics
The broader opportunity is to develop graphics-processing intellectual property that can be adapted to different products. Rather than building an entirely new processor for each application, manufacturers could potentially use the underlying architecture as a starting point for specialised designs.
The commercial value will depend on whether the design can meet the needs of manufacturers at a competitive cost.
IIT Delhi Team Plans an 8–16-Core Architecture
The researchers are exploring a roadmap toward an 8–16-core, vector-style graphics processor, alongside an optimised compiler and graphics software toolchain.
A multi-core design can distribute work across several processing units, potentially improving the handling of tasks that can be executed in parallel. A vector-style architecture is designed to process multiple data elements through related operations, which can be useful for graphics and numerical workloads.
However, adding more cores does not automatically guarantee better performance. The results depend on the architecture, memory access, software optimisation, power consumption and the kinds of applications being run.
A compiler and supporting software tools will also be important. Hardware needs software capable of translating programs into instructions the processor can execute. Without a usable toolchain, developers may find it difficult to build applications around the new architecture.
The team’s roadmap therefore involves more than increasing the number of processing cores. It also requires developing the software ecosystem needed to make the hardware useful to product designers.
Why the Team Is Targeting 65nm Chip Manufacturing
The researchers plan to pursue a proof of concept using a 65-nanometre ASIC manufacturing process.
Nanometres describe a semiconductor manufacturing process generation, although the number does not represent the physical size of every transistor or component. A 65nm process is considerably older than the advanced nodes used in many leading-edge processors, but mature manufacturing processes can remain useful for specialised chips.
For an embedded graphics processor, the most advanced manufacturing technology may not always be necessary. The design priorities can include affordability, predictable production, sufficient performance and manageable power consumption.
The researchers have indicated that India currently lacks the appropriate domestic facilities for the particular fabrication work they require, meaning they may need to explore manufacturing partnerships abroad.
The project will also require funding for ASIC development, system integration and eventual commercialisation. Moving from a demonstrable FPGA design to a manufacturable chip is a substantial engineering and financial step.
Can the Micro-GPU Reduce India’s Dependence on Imported Chips?
IIT Delhi’s project addresses a wider challenge for India’s electronics industry: dependence on imported semiconductor technology.
India has expanded its efforts to develop semiconductor manufacturing, chip design and electronics production. Yet building a complete domestic ecosystem requires capabilities across several stages, including processor architecture, semiconductor fabrication, packaging, testing, software and commercial distribution.
An indigenous graphics-processing design can contribute to this ecosystem by developing local expertise and creating intellectual property that Indian companies may be able to adapt.
However, a single micro-GPU prototype will not replace the imported GPUs used in gaming computers, AI data centres and high-performance computing. Those applications demand significantly different levels of processing power, memory bandwidth, software support and system integration.
The more immediate opportunity is in specialised embedded systems. If the team can manufacture and validate the design at a competitive cost, it could provide a starting point for selected low-cost graphics applications.
The project should therefore be viewed as a focused chip-design milestone rather than a complete solution to India’s dependence on foreign semiconductor products.
The Bigger Picture
IIT Delhi’s micro-GPU demonstrates how university research can contribute to India’s semiconductor ambitions by developing indigenous processor architectures and testing them on programmable hardware. Its focus on embedded applications offers a practical route toward specialised graphics technology without attempting to compete immediately with the world’s most advanced GPUs.
The next challenge is translating the research into a manufactured product. Chip fabrication, performance validation, software development, funding and industry partnerships will determine whether the prototype can move beyond the laboratory. Its long-term significance will depend on whether manufacturers can use the design to build affordable, reliable products.
Looking Ahead
The team’s immediate priorities include advancing the graphics architecture, developing an 8–16-core design, improving the compiler and software toolchain, and securing support for ASIC development. A 65nm silicon prototype would provide an important test of whether the architecture can be implemented as a dedicated chip. Until that stage is reached, the existing FPGA demonstration remains the project’s principal hardware milestone.
If the technology progresses successfully, it could help Indian developers build graphics and display-processing systems for selected embedded applications while strengthening local expertise in chip design. The commercial opportunity will depend on manufacturing access, production economics, product reliability and demand from electronics companies. For now, IIT Delhi’s achievement represents an early but meaningful step toward developing indigenous graphics-processing technology in India.
Get the day’s top stories in your inbox
One concise email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
