About Us

ABOUT US

Engineering Indigenous Semiconductor Technology Since 1999

Founded at IIT Bombay in 1999, Powai Labs develops indigenous semiconductor technologies for organisations designing next-generation semiconductor products and custom System-on-Chip (SoC) platforms.

The company’s portfolio includes the AJIT Processor Core IP, APARAJIT AI Accelerator IP and future navigation processor technologies. Together, these technologies support programmable processing, AI acceleration and intelligent computing across embedded systems, robotics, industrial automation, defence, aerospace, navigation and edge

OUR ORIGINS

From IIT Bombay Research to Semiconductor IP

Powai Labs’ journey began at IIT Bombay in 1999.

The company’s history includes a Texas Instruments-funded research programme at IIT Bombay, followed by incubation through SINE, IIT Bombay. This research foundation forms an important part of Powai Labs’ semiconductor technology journey.

The company went on to develop processor architectures and semiconductor technologies, with the AJIT Processor forming a central part of this work.

Today, Powai Labs continues this research-led approach through Processor Core IP, AI Accelerator IP and emerging navigation technologies.

FROM PROCESSOR ARCHITECTURE TO AI ACCELERATION

Building on a Semiconductor Research Foundation

The AJIT processor family represents Powai Labs’ processor architecture work.

The AJIT documentation covers CPU32 and CPU64 implementations, including single-core and multi-core configurations, along with memory, peripheral, debug and software-development capabilities.

AJIT development also includes documented ASIC implementation work, including a 180 nm proof-of-concept at SCL Chandigarh and an AJIT-based NAVIC GPS + IRNSS receiver SoC fabricated in 65 nm technology at UMC Taiwan. The manual reports the NAVIC receiver SoC as functional following first-silicon testing.

The current portfolio extends this technology direction with APARAJIT AI Accelerator IP, developed for AI inference, tensor processing and parallel computing.

Building on a Semiconductor Research Foundation

OUR TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO

Three Areas of Semiconductor Development

Powai Labs semiconductor technologies support a range of applications, including:

AJIT Processor Core IP Icon

AJIT Processor Core IP

Configurable processor technology for programmable processing, system control, memory management and SoC development.

APARAJIT AI Accelerator IP

Scalable AI acceleration for AI inference, tensor processing and parallel computing, available across Micro, Mini and Mega configurations.

NavIC Processor Icon

NavIC Processor

Future navigation processor technology currently under development.

OUR APPROACH

Research-Driven Semiconductor Engineering

Powai Labs continues to focus its research and development on technologies that support programmable processing, AI acceleration and intelligent computing across future SoC platforms.

Current research areas include:

Processor Architecture
Parallel Processing
AI Acceleration
Navigation Technologies
Embedded Computing
Intelligent Semiconductor Systems

OUR JOURNEY

A Timeline of Indigenous Semiconductor Development

1999
Research foundation at IIT Bombay
Texas Instruments
TI-funded research programme at IIT Bombay
SINE
Incubation through IIT Bombay's SINE ecosystem
AJIT
Processor architecture and development
ASIC Development
AJIT implementations across semiconductor technologies
Today
Processor Core IP, AI Accelerator IP and future navigation processor technologies
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

Impressions from Industry, Government & Research

The original Powai Labs website featured impressions from prominent individuals including:

Montek Singh Ahluwalia

Deputy Chairman,
Planning Commission

Avinash Kanade

Tata Infotech

R. Muralidharan

CTO, OSS Systems

Dr. R. A. Mashelkar

CSIR

Isnessing innovation through:
Quality, Price and Technology

The client specifically requested that these original impressions, or a curated selection, be restored to strengthen the company’s historical credibility.

VLSID 2020

Engaging With the VLSI Community

Powai Labs was invited to participate in a Fireside Chat at VLSID 2020.

The video provides a useful record of the company’s engagement with the VLSI and semiconductor community and should be retained as part of the About/Media section.

VLSID 2020 Video BG_Cover

Continuing Indigenous Semiconductor Research

Powai Labs continues to develop processor architectures and AI accelerator technologies through indigenous semiconductor research and engineering.

Building on its IIT Bombay origins and AJIT processor development, the company is extending its semiconductor portfolio through APARAJIT AI Accelerator IP and future navigation processor technologies.