India’s semiconductor journey is gaining remarkable momentum, and the 2nd Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Symposium, held at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, was a shining testament to this national progress. Organised at the IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), RISC-V International, and several leading industry partners, the symposium brought together policymakers, global experts, start-ups, academia, and industry leaders to accelerate RISC-V innovation in India.
Amidst this inspiring national landscape, students from the Department of Physics, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) have made a significant mark. As part of the DIR-V Technology Roadshow in December 2024, the department initiated a hands-on skill development programme with the support of Kunal Ghosh, CEO and Founder VSD & Anagha Ghosh, Director and Co-Founder, VSD. This programme trained students on the indigenously developed VSD-minisquadron RISC-V microcontroller, fostering a culture of innovation and application-based learning.
This training journey culminated in a first prize victory in the Hardware Track of the DIR-V Symposium Product Hackathon, held on 2nd March 2025 at IIT Madras. The award, which included a cash prize of ₹50,000, was presented by Former Union Minister Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras.
The winning team of enterprising B.Sc. Physics students — Akhil Thapa, Vardan Chettri, Prudhvi Sai Bharadwaj, Vishnu Dev, and Kabiraj Basnet, under the guidance of Dr. Sai Muthukumar V, Asst. professor, Dept of Physics, developed and demonstrated a dual-axis solar tracker prototype named “Heliosync360.” Their laboratory model showcased innovative application of RISC-V microcontroller technology, and was met with enthusiastic appreciation from the academic and scientific community at IIT-M.
The Department of Physics extends heartfelt thanks to the administrators of SSSIHL, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations (SSSO), and SSSO-Alumni for their continued support and encouragement.
The students humbly dedicated this achievement as an offering in the centenary year of our Revered Founder Chancellor, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, whose divine vision and values continue to inspire and guide their academic journey.
