The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has been encouraged to follow the example set by the department of space and the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) by collaborating more actively with the private sector to scale up technologies and bring them to market.
S Krishnan, decretary of the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), emphasised the growing role of private companies in the space sector and their successful synergy with Isro, suggesting that C-DAC could benefit from a similar model. “We are willing to collaborate with the private sector to advance our country’s capabilities in this field,” he said. Krishnan highlighted the substantial progress made by private players in scientific research in India and underscored the need for stronger collaboration between research institutions, private enterprises, and academia to drive technological innovation.
C-DAC’s technological advancements, he noted, must be made available for public use, and to ensure sustained delivery and impact, the organisation needs committed partners. “We need to create technology and ensure it is handed over to new entities that can take it forward, service it, and upgrade it. What C-DAC develops should be accessible to the entire country,” Krishnan remarked during C-DAC’s Foundation Day celebration.
Referring to the semiconductor sector, Krishnan pointed to the Vega programme, which focuses on open-source chip design, as an example of how public-private collaborations are already driving progress. Similarly, he stressed that C-DAC’s server development efforts should be advanced with the help of Indian partners who can manufacture and market these systems.
C-DAC director general E Magesh stated that the organisation is building an ecosystem to support domestic server manufacturing. As part of the National Supercomputing Mission phase-II initiative, C-DAC has partnered with Mellanox/NVIDIA to manufacture Ethernet and Infiniband products at JABIL’s Pune facility. Technology for the indigenous design, development, and manufacture of Rudra servers has been transferred to VVDN Technologies, Kaynes Technology India, and Avalon Technologies. Additionally, VVDN has signed a contract with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) for server manufacturing, while Sanmina is producing servers for global clients like Atos.
Magesh also announced that C-DAC is preparing to launch Mission Mode Programmes in cutting-edge domains such as exascale computing, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, next-generation cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things. These initiatives will include sector-specific Centres of Excellence focused on areas like health tech, mobility, power electronics, agri-tech, maritime technology, and strategic technology.
C-DAC has partnered with Applied Materials India (AMIND) to launch the Advanced Computing Research (ACR) project, a 50:50 joint initiative. The collaboration aims to create GPUs, CPUs, and AI accelerators and will also focus on RISC-V-based processors, scalable networks and services, and integrated photonics—all supported by a robust software ecosystem.“The ecosystem will manufacture and assemble these technologies, which will serve the National Supercomputing Mission and other interested stakeholders,” Magesh said.