Professor Veezhinathan Kamakoti, known as the “”SHAKTI-man of India”” and the director of IIT Madras, has been instrumental in India’s journey towards semiconductor self-sufficiency. He spearheaded the development of SHAKTI, India’s first open microprocessor based on the RISC-V architecture, funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Kamakoti’s dedication to this project led him to prioritize semiconductor capabilities in India and reduce dependence on cheap imports from China.
Under Kamakoti’s leadership, SHAKTI has emerged as a significant initiative, with the aim of fostering an indigenous processor ecosystem in India. Several startups, including InCore, Mindgrove Technologies, Chakra Electronics, Vyoma Systems, and SecurWeave, have emerged from the IIT Madras lab, building on the SHAKTI core.

Kamakoti emphasized the importance of building trust in the semiconductor business, which requires significant investments and support from investors. Despite challenges, SHAKTI has made strides, with the Shakti C-class being stable and ready for deployment.

In addition to his contributions to semiconductor development, Kamakoti has been involved in initiatives such as the AI Task Force and BharatGPT, aimed at leveraging AI for economic transformation and specialized hardware development.

He highlighted the significance of specialized hardware for various fields, emphasizing the role of BharatGPT in catering to specific domains. Kamakoti believes that BharatGPT’s open-source approach will serve as a valuable resource, assisting professionals across different sectors.

Moreover, Kamakoti discussed the potential of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Bard, emphasizing their role in extracting knowledge from Indic languages and aiding sectors such as agriculture. He stressed the importance of augmenting, rather than replacing, human capabilities with AI.
Kamakoti’s vision encompasses not only technological advancements but also societal impact, as evidenced by initiatives like the funding of INR 110 crore for building a school for AI and data science at IIT Madras. His goal is to enhance the capabilities of educators and create effective co-pilots, driving progress across various sectors in India. For more details, refer to the original article below.