The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) felicitated the winners of the ‘Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge- Innovate Solutions for #AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ during Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. Participants get financial support upto Rs 4.40 crore during various stages of the challenge for developing the hardware prototype and incubating a start-up to participating teams, as per the Government release.
First three winners got cheques worth Rs 35 lakh, Rs 30 lakh and Rs 25 lakh respectively. Teams that bagged the fourth prize got Rs 20 lakh cheque each. In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s AatmaNirbhar Bharat call, the participants – Indian students and start-ups have to use Swadeshi processor IPs (VEGA processor by C-DAC and SHAKTI processor by IIT Madras) and utilise them for innovating affordable solutions for societal needs.
About 6,170 teams having over 10,000 members including over 500 start-ups competed in the initial stages by filling an online quiz and submitting an abstract and detailed proposal to reach a stage where 100 semi-finalists were provided VEGA and SHAKTI processors IPs ported on FPGA boards and financial as well as technical support to develop hardware proof of concept applications. Of these, 30 teams with financially and technically viable solutions were given assistance to improvise further on their hardware prototype.
Out of the 30 teams, 10 teams won the challenge with their strategic solutions to daily problems. First prize winners – Team VEGA FCS FT (AI drone) won Rs 35 lakh cheque for their drone application, team HWDL bagged the second position won Rs 30 lakh for FM RDS utilities and Cytox came third with its ‘cell count’ project and bagged Rs 25 lakh. Rest of the teams shared the fourth position and got RS 20 lakh cheque each.
These teams are Team SpectroProcessor (design and development of SpectroProcessor for biomedical applications); Team Quicproc (wireless maternal monitoring system); Team Anshashodhak (unique calibration system for Nuclear Spectroscopy applications); Team Avrio Energy (next-generation AI Energy Meter with intelligence at edge and deep learning); Astrek Innovations (lower limb exosuit for differently abled); Team 6E Resources (remote monitoring and optimisation of Sewage Treatment Plant); and Team JayHawks (anti-theft geofencing based locking system (ATGLS)).
Minister of State for Electronics and IT and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “I went around many of the stalls and I say this without fear of sounding like I am exaggerating that this is very high-quality work. As somebody who has spent over 3.5 decades in technology, I can surely recognize good technology work. Out of all the sessions which have happened before, this is the one that looks forward to the future”.
Source: businesstoday.in
