ndia manufactures an enormous range of electronic products, from smart electricity meters and industrial controllers to biometric terminals, appliances, vehicles and medical equipment. Yet the programmable silicon at the centre of many of these products continues to be imported.
Chennai-based Mindgrove Technologies is working to change this imbalance. The IIT Madras-incubated fabless semiconductor company designs indigenous system-on-chips for embedded equipment, connected devices, industrial automation and edge-computing applications.
Its first commercial product, the Secure IoT S2401, is a 64-bit RISC-V microcontroller built around the indigenous SHAKTI processor architecture developed at IIT Madras. Running at up to 700 MHz and consuming less than 200 milliwatts at peak, the chip combines computing, connectivity interfaces, hardware cryptography, secure boot and embedded-control functions within one compact device. Mindgrove and IIT Madras describe it as India’s first commercial-grade, high-performance RISC-V microcontroller with security integrated into the silicon.
Building Indian silicon from Chennai
Mindgrove Technologies was founded in 2021 with the objective of creating production-grade semiconductor products designed and owned in India. The company operates from the IIT Madras Research Park and has been incubated through IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation and the wider IIT Madras startup ecosystem.
IITM Pravartak is a Technology Innovation Hub hosted by IIT Madras and supported by the Department of Science and Technology under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems. Its focus areas include sensors, networking, actuators, embedded systems, industrial IoT, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity—the same technological environment in which a secure Indian microcontroller can find numerous applications.
Mindgrove is a fabless semiconductor company. This means that it designs the processor architecture, system-on-chip, interfaces, security components and supporting software while using external semiconductor foundries and specialist partners for fabrication, packaging and testing.
The distinction is important. Secure IoT is an Indian-designed and Indian-owned semiconductor product, although the physical wafers are fabricated through overseas manufacturing partners. India’s semiconductor mission seeks eventually to develop a deeper domestic chain covering chip design, fabrication, assembly, packaging and testing.
What is Secure IoT S2401?
Secure IoT S2401 is described as a microcontroller, although technically it contains many of the capabilities associated with a system-on-chip.
A conventional microcontroller combines a processor, memory and input-output interfaces in one package. It acts as the electronic brain of a product, continuously reading sensors, processing information and controlling motors, displays, relays, communications modules or other components.
Secure IoT goes further by incorporating:
- a 64-bit SHAKTI C-Class processor;
- embedded memory and external-memory interfaces;
- hardware cryptographic acceleration;
- secure boot;
- analogue and digital interfaces;
- timers and pulse-width modulation;
- debugging and instruction-tracing facilities;
- support for real-time operating systems.
This allows manufacturers to build complex embedded products without combining several separate controller and security chips. The resulting circuit board can become smaller, simpler and potentially less expensive.
Mindgrove completed the first tape-out of Secure IoT in 2024. Tape-out is the stage at which the completed semiconductor design is sent to a foundry for physical fabrication. The company says that the chip successfully taped out on its first attempt, after which samples were tested and booted. It introduced an evaluation board for developers in March 2025.
The company now offers the S2401 chip, an evaluation board and a compact system-on-module that allows equipment manufacturers to begin product development without designing every supporting circuit from the beginning.
Powered by India’s SHAKTI processor
At the centre of Secure IoT is a single SHAKTI C-Class 64-bit processor core operating at up to 700 MHz.
SHAKTI originated at IIT Madras’s Reconfigurable Intelligent Systems Engineering group. Developed with support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, it represents one of India’s most important indigenous processor-development programmes.
The processor is based on RISC-V, an open instruction-set architecture. An instruction set defines the basic commands that software uses to communicate with a processor. Dominant commercial architectures such as x86 and Arm are controlled by their respective owners and are generally used under commercial licensing arrangements.
RISC-V provides an open and standardised foundation upon which universities, companies and governments can design processors suited to their requirements. Companies can add specialised security, signal-processing or artificial-intelligence capabilities while retaining compatibility with the wider RISC-V software ecosystem.
This does not mean that every RISC-V chip is open-source or free of proprietary technology. Mindgrove owns and commercialises its SoC designs, supporting circuitry and implementation. The open architecture gives the company greater freedom to build around an Indian processor core without depending completely on a foreign instruction-set owner.
Technical capabilities of Secure IoT
Secure IoT is fabricated using a 28-nanometre semiconductor process. It is offered in WBGA144, QFN64 and QFN48 packages, allowing manufacturers to select a form suited to their board size, required interfaces and manufacturing process.
Processing performance
The chip contains one 64-bit SHAKTI C-Class core implementing the RV64GC RISC-V architecture. Its maximum clock speed of 700 MHz places it above many simple microcontrollers designed primarily for low-speed sensing and switching.
This additional performance can support more advanced communication protocols, signal processing, local security functions, user interfaces and edge computation without requiring a large application processor.
Low-power operation
Mindgrove lists peak power consumption below 200 milliwatts, with a core operating voltage of 0.9 volts and an input-output voltage of 1.8 volts. The chip is intended for equipment that must balance computing capability with battery life, thermal limits and continuous operation.
Actual power consumption will depend on clock frequency, connected peripherals, memory use, software activity and the product’s operating conditions.
Memory
The S2401 includes on-chip SRAM for time-sensitive code and data. It also contains two QSPI interfaces that can connect NAND flash, NOR flash or PSRAM.
Execute-in-place support allows compatible software to run directly from external flash memory rather than requiring the entire programme to be copied into internal memory first. This can help manufacturers build products with larger software stacks while controlling cost and package size.
Input-output interfaces
The company lists up to 94 functional input-output pins, including:
- 45 general-purpose input-output connections;
- 14 pulse-width-modulation channels;
- two QSPI interfaces;
- four SPI interfaces;
- five UART interfaces;
- two I²C interfaces;
- an eight-channel analogue-to-digital converter.
These interfaces allow the microcontroller to communicate with sensors, displays, motor drivers, wireless modules, external memory, measurement circuits and industrial equipment.
Security built into the chip
Connected devices have traditionally been designed around cost and functionality, with cybersecurity added later through software. That approach has become increasingly risky as electricity meters, industrial controllers, surveillance systems and household appliances connect to wider networks.
A remotely exploitable weakness in a smart meter could expose consumption data or interfere with billing. A compromised factory controller could disrupt machinery. Insecure access-control hardware could expose biometric information or permit unauthorised entry.
Secure IoT attempts to address these threats at the silicon level.
Secure boot
The chip incorporates hardware secure boot. During startup, the system verifies that the firmware being loaded is authentic and has not been replaced or modified by an unauthorised party.
Secure boot can prevent a device from executing manipulated software, although its effectiveness depends on how the manufacturer manages cryptographic keys, firmware updates and recovery procedures.
Hardware cryptography
The security complex supports hardware acceleration for:
- AES-128, AES-192 and AES-256 encryption;
- RSA-2048 public-key cryptography;
- SHA-256 hashing.
Performing these operations in dedicated hardware can be faster and more energy-efficient than executing every cryptographic calculation through general software. It can also make it harder for attackers to interfere with sensitive operations.
Protected key storage and random-number generation
Secure IoT includes one-time-programmable memory and a hardware true-random-number generator. One-time-programmable storage can preserve device identities, security settings and cryptographic material in a form that cannot be casually rewritten.
A reliable source of random numbers is essential for encryption keys, authentication protocols and secure communications.
Memory protection
The processor includes RISC-V physical memory-protection entries. These can restrict which software components are allowed to access sensitive memory regions.
For example, a network-processing task can be prevented from reading encryption keys or modifying the portion of memory controlling a safety-critical machine. The final security of the product still depends on correct software architecture and configuration by the equipment manufacturer.
Software and developer ecosystem
A chip becomes commercially useful only when developers can write, test and maintain software for it.
Mindgrove supports several real-time operating systems, including:
- Zephyr;
- FreeRTOS;
- NuttX.
It also provides a bare-metal software-development kit for applications that do not require a full operating system. Development can be undertaken through environments based on Eclipse and Visual Studio Code.
A real-time operating system is designed for equipment that must respond predictably to events. In an industrial controller, for example, a delayed response to a sensor reading could damage machinery. An RTOS schedules tasks so that critical operations receive processor time within a defined period.
Mindgrove also provides application-programming documentation, peripheral drivers, user manuals, evaluation boards and system-on-module hardware. These resources reduce the amount of work required before a manufacturer can begin testing the chip in a product.
Smart electricity and utility meters
Smart meters are among the most important potential applications for Secure IoT.
A modern electricity meter must perform several functions simultaneously. It measures energy consumption, stores billing information, communicates with the utility, detects tampering and sometimes controls the connection remotely.
This creates requirements for:
- accurate real-time processing;
- secure communications;
- protection of consumer information;
- authentication of firmware updates;
- long operational life;
- resistance to physical and digital tampering.
An Indian-designed microcontroller could allow meter manufacturers and utilities to exercise greater control over device security, firmware, product availability and long-term support.
The same technology can be adapted to water meters, gas meters and other utility-measurement equipment. Mindgrove specifically identifies electricity, gas and water metering among the applications targeted by Secure IoT.
Industrial automation
Factories increasingly connect machines, sensors and production lines to digital control systems. These industrial IoT networks monitor temperature, pressure, vibration, machine condition, output quality and energy use.
Secure IoT can serve as the controller inside:
- motor-control systems;
- programmable industrial devices;
- sensor gateways;
- factory-monitoring equipment;
- predictive-maintenance systems;
- pumps and compressors;
- robotic subsystems;
- data-acquisition equipment.
Its processing performance allows local analysis to take place near the machine rather than sending every raw sensor reading to a distant cloud server.
Local or edge processing can reduce communication delays, limit bandwidth use and allow a machine to continue operating when internet connectivity is interrupted.
Access-control and security equipment
Biometric terminals, fingerprint readers, smart locks and authentication devices require a controller capable of managing sensors while protecting identity data.
Secure boot can help ensure that the access device runs approved firmware. Hardware cryptography can protect communications between the terminal and the central server. One-time-programmable memory can be used for device identity and trusted credentials.
Mindgrove lists smart locks, digital access pads, biometric modules, fingerprint scanners and related security systems among the intended uses of the S2401.
Connected appliances and smart homes
A connected appliance contains more computing capability than a traditional household machine. A washing machine may monitor motor load and water consumption, communicate with a smartphone and receive firmware updates. A refrigerator may operate sensors, compressors, displays and connectivity modules.
Secure IoT can provide the processing and interfaces required for:
- air conditioners;
- refrigerators;
- washing machines;
- fans;
- home-automation controllers;
- smart switches;
- alarm systems;
- connected kitchen equipment.
An Indian chip can also give appliance manufacturers greater ability to customise firmware and integrate local-language interfaces, energy-management functions and India-specific communication systems.
Wearables and healthcare equipment
Mindgrove identifies fitness bands, smartwatches, health monitors and related wearable devices as potential applications.
Wearable products require low power consumption, continuous sensor collection and secure handling of personal information. The S2401’s performance could support sensor fusion, display management and local data analysis, although final suitability would depend on the battery, wireless system, package and product design.
Medical products also require extensive regulatory validation. The presence of security features in the chip does not by itself certify the complete device for clinical use.
Retail and printing systems
Thermal printers, handheld terminals, barcode devices and payment-related equipment combine mechanical control, communication and data protection.
A high-performance microcontroller can manage the printer motor, paper sensors, user interface, communication modules and secure data handling. This gives Secure IoT potential applications in retail billing, ticketing, logistics and portable printing systems.
Why an Indian microcontroller!!
The importance of Mindgrove extends beyond one chip.
Reducing import dependence
India imports a substantial proportion of the electronic components used in domestically assembled products. Even when a final device is manufactured in India, its controller and associated intellectual property may originate overseas.
An Indian SoC gives domestic manufacturers another source of supply and can reduce dependence on a limited number of international semiconductor vendors.
Control over intellectual property
Owning the chip design allows Indian engineers to modify its peripherals, security functions, memory configuration and software for local requirements.
This capability is especially important for strategic systems, critical infrastructure and high-volume public deployments where dependence on an externally controlled design can create long-term supply and security risks.
Trusted hardware
Domestic design does not automatically guarantee security. Indian chips must undergo the same rigorous verification, penetration testing and certification expected from global products.
However, access to the design team and greater visibility into the architecture can make security evaluation and application-specific modification easier for Indian customers.
Product customisation
Global microcontrollers are generally designed to serve broad international markets. Indian manufacturers may require different combinations of price, computing power, interfaces and security.
Mindgrove offers support at the chip, system-on-module and circuit-board levels. The company also proposes co-development arrangements under which its engineers can help customers integrate the chip into new products.
Developing semiconductor talent
Designing a commercial chip requires expertise in processor architecture, verification, physical design, security, embedded software, packaging and testing.
A successful domestic semiconductor company creates opportunities for Indian engineers to participate in the complete product-development cycle rather than working only on isolated design tasks for multinational companies.
Government and institutional support
Mindgrove emerged from the combination of academic research, public technology programmes, startup incubation and private investment.
The SHAKTI processor project was developed at IIT Madras with support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Mindgrove was incubated through IITM Pravartak, which is funded under the Department of Science and Technology’s National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems.
In February 2024, the company secured ₹15 crore under the Government of India’s Design Linked Incentive programme for the development of its second chip family, the Vision SoC. Mindgrove also reports raising US$8 million in Series A funding in December 2024.
The Design Linked Incentive scheme provides financial and infrastructure support to Indian semiconductor design companies, startups and MSMEs. Its objective is to strengthen Indian ownership of integrated circuits, chipsets, systems-on-chip and semiconductor intellectual property while supporting import substitution and greater domestic value addition.
Beyond Secure IoT
Secure IoT is Mindgrove’s first chip, but the company is developing a broader semiconductor portfolio.
Its Vision SoC family is intended for camera, imaging and computer-vision applications. Proposed uses include CCTV cameras, digital video recorders, industrial vision systems, barcode scanners, automotive cameras and smart doorbells.
The V2600 is being developed around a single RISC-V processor operating above one gigahertz, while the higher-performance V2601 uses four RISC-V cores and vector-processing capability. Both are designed to support video encoding, camera interfaces, Ethernet and hardware security.
Mindgrove has also identified edge-computing and artificial-intelligence processors as future areas. This indicates an ambition to move from embedded controllers into more demanding silicon for machine vision, analytics, automotive electronics and local AI inference.
Designed in India, built for the world
Mindgrove Technologies represents an important transition in India’s electronics story.
For decades, Indian engineers have designed chips for global semiconductor companies, while Indian product manufacturers have remained dependent on foreign-owned processors. Mindgrove is attempting to connect these two capabilities by creating chips conceived, architected and commercially owned by an Indian company.
Secure IoT S2401 is significant because it is intended for ordinary production equipment rather than remaining a university prototype. Its potential market includes smart meters, factory machinery, access-control systems, appliances, wearables, printers and connected infrastructure.
Its 64-bit SHAKTI processor, hardware cryptography, secure boot, real-time operating-system support and broad range of interfaces give Indian manufacturers a locally designed platform for products that require more performance and stronger security than a basic low-cost controller can provide.
The chip does not yet complete India’s semiconductor independence. Physical fabrication remains dependent on external foundries, and Mindgrove must prove its reliability, software ecosystem and commercial competitiveness through large-scale deployments.
Yet semiconductor sovereignty begins with design ownership. A nation that owns the architecture and intellectual property can customise its systems, cultivate domestic expertise and gradually build the wider manufacturing chain around them.
Mindgrove is therefore producing more than a microcontroller. It is helping demonstrate that advanced commercial silicon can be designed, tested, supported and marketed from India.
For the Make in India mission, Secure IoT represents a movement from assembling electronic products to creating the Indian-designed intelligence operating inside them.
- Mindgrove Technologies — Official website:
https://www.mindgrovetech.in/ - Mindgrove Technologies — Secure IoT S2401 product page and specifications:
https://www.mindgrovetech.in/s2401-secure-iot - Mindgrove Technologies — Company history and milestones:
https://www.mindgrovetech.in/about-us - Mindgrove Technologies — Vision SoC family:
https://www.mindgrovetech.in/vision-soc - Mindgrove Technologies — V2600 Vision SoC:
https://www.mindgrovetech.in/v2600-vision-soc - Mindgrove Technologies — V2601 Vision SoC:
https://www.mindgrovetech.in/v2601-vision-soc - IIT Madras — Mindgrove launches its indigenously designed Secure IoT chip:
https://www.iitm.ac.in/hi/node/16320 - IIT Madras — Mindgrove develops Aatmanirbhar Secure IoT microprocessor:
https://www.iitm.ac.in/hi/node/16326 - IIT Madras — Annual review mentioning the design, manufacture and boot-up of Secure IoT:
https://www.iitm.ac.in/hi/node/16992 - IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation — Startup portfolio:
https://www.iitmpravartak.org.in/startups - IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation — Technology Innovation Hub overview:
https://www.iitmpravartak.org.in/ - Government of India — Design Linked Incentive Scheme:
https://chips-dli.gov.in/DLI/HomePage - Government of India — Design Linked Incentive Scheme support and application information:
https://chips-dli.gov.in/DLI/applyforDLI - Government of India — Design Linked Incentive Scheme frequently asked questions:
https://www.chips-dli.gov.in/DLI/Faq
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