Aheesa Digital Innovations achieves silicon success with VIHAAN chip

Chennai-based semiconductor startup Aheesa Digital Innovations has achieved first-pass silicon success with its indigenous broadband networking System-on-Chip (SoC), named ‘VIHAAN’. Built using the VEGA microprocessor, the chip is specifically designed for fiber broadband applications.

The company taped out the chip on Republic Day and reached this silicon milestone on Independence Day. Aheesa Digital Innovations, which is supported by the government’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, plans to move toward a production tape-out in 2027.

To accelerate development, Aheesa previously raised approximately ₹40 crore from the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation (TNIFMC) through the Tamil Nadu Emerging Sector Seed Fund (TNESSF) and other private investors. This success is part of a broader expansion in India’s semiconductor design ecosystem; the government reports that DLI-supported companies have achieved over 30 chip design tape-outs and raised more than $100 million in venture capital.