Chennai Startup Aheesa Achieves First Pass Success with Indigenous Chip VIHAAN

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Chennai, August 17 (APAC Media): Chennai-based fabless semiconductor startup Aheesa Digital Innovations has achieved first-pass silicon success for its indigenous broadband networking System-on-Chip (SoC), ‘VIHAAN.’

This marks a significant milestone for India’s domestic semiconductor design ecosystem.

The first-pass silicon success means the chip functioned successfully during its initial fabrication attempt, potentially reducing redesign cycles, development time, and costs.

Supported by DLI Scheme

Supported under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, VIHAAN has been developed for high-throughput and secure broadband applications, including Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployments and broadband routers.

The SoC is built on the open-standard RISC-V architecture and incorporates the indigenous 64-bit VEGA processor developed by C-DAC. The chip is designed to reduce India’s dependence on imported networking silicon while supporting the development of domestically manufactured broadband equipment.

Designed for Fibre Broadband and Networking

VIHAAN is designed to receive internet data through GPON and EPON fibre networks and distribute it through Gigabit Ethernet connections. Its 64-bit VEGA core supports high-speed packet processing, routing, traffic inspection, Quality of Service (QoS) management, and firewall functions.

The chip also integrates hardware-level security features, including a hardware root of trust, secure boot, and cryptographic engines to protect firmware and network traffic from potential threats.

Aheesa’s Router OS (AROS), based on OpenWrt, provides software support for integration with routers, modems, access points, and other networking equipment.

Boost to India’s Semiconductor Ambitions

VIHAAN’s integrated architecture combines broadband connectivity, computing, and memory functions on a single chip, while its reference platform and software tools are intended to help Indian manufacturers develop Wi-Fi routers and Optical Network Terminals (ONTs).

The development is expected to strengthen India’s indigenous chip-design capabilities, improve supply-chain resilience, and support the country’s broader efforts to build a secure and self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem.