In a major victory for India's indigenous defence manufacturing, Bengaluru-based semiconductor startup FermionIC Design—founded in 2020 and led by CEO Gautam Kumar Singh—has successfully qualified its microchips for the Indian Air Force’s upcoming Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
This cutting-edge radar, known as the Virupaksha AESA, is a central component of the sweeping "Super Sukhoi" upgrade for the Su-30MKI fighter aircraft.
By relying on locally designed chipsets instead of foreign imports, this achievement represents a monumental step forward in India's pursuit of technological self-reliance.
FermionIC Design reports that its hardware endured a demanding series of evaluations to ensure it satisfies the strict operational criteria necessary for advanced military sensors.
Chief Executive Gautam Kumar Singh noted that the company's components actually surpass international performance benchmarks.
This success signals that India’s domestic fabless semiconductor ecosystem is rapidly catching up to, and competing with, long-established global giants in the field of sophisticated military electronics.
The Virupaksha radar is an incredibly powerful system, slated to incorporate upwards of 2,400 to 2,600 Transmit-Receive Modules (TRMs).
Utilizing modern Gallium Nitride (GaN) architecture rather than older Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) technology, the radar offers a massive leap in thermal efficiency, bandwidth, and power output.
Open-source data indicates the Virupaksha will weigh less than 300 kilograms—less than half the weight of the outgoing 650-kilogram Russian N011M Bars radar—while extending detection ranges by up to 1.7 times.
Entrusting a complex, high-density TRM network to an indigenous startup highlights the immense trust placed in FermionIC's engineering.
Modern AESA platforms are entirely dependent on specialised microchips to handle everything from generating signals to steering electronic beams and processing incoming data.
Successfully fielding Indian-made processors for these tasks proves that the nation is untangling the notoriously difficult supply chains inherent to modern aviation tech.
Because military-grade semiconductors are highly sensitive and vulnerable to global export bans or trade disruptions, securing a localized supply is a vital strategic advantage.
This milestone seamlessly supports New Delhi's broader ambitions to construct a robust, self-sustaining semiconductor industry, particularly for high-stakes defence applications.
Introducing homegrown silicon into the primary radar of India's frontline fighter fleet will likely attract further investments, encouraging wider innovation and growth within the country's domestic microelectronics sector.
The broader "Super Sukhoi" initiative is vital to the Indian Air Force’s future readiness. Under the first phase of this program, 84 Su-30MKIs are scheduled to receive these extensive upgrades, eventually scaling up to cover over 200 jets.
Outfitted with the GaN-powered Virupaksha radar, upgraded fighters will be able to simultaneously track up to 100 targets, operate seamlessly in heavy electronic warfare conditions, and detect low-signature threats from much greater distances.
This transforms the Su-30MKI into a significantly more lethal platform for both air-superiority and ground-attack operations.
