Netrasemi, a chip design startup backed by Zoho, has completed fabrication of its first processor at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's 12-nanometer node. The A2000 chip, designed for computer vision workloads, is now moving toward commercial production in 2026. The company developed the processor for surveillance drones, CCTV systems, robotics platforms, and industrial automation equipment.
Context
The A2000 represents India's latest attempt to establish domestic silicon design capability for edge AI applications. Vision processing chips have become critical for autonomous systems that must make real-time decisions without cloud connectivity—a requirement in defense applications, warehouse robotics, and remote industrial sites. Netrasemi chose TSMC's 12nm process, a mature node that balances power efficiency with manufacturing cost, rather than pursuing leading-edge geometries below 7nm.
Industry Impact
Robotics manufacturers currently rely almost exclusively on Nvidia Jetson modules, Qualcomm mobile chips, or Intel Movidius processors for vision tasks. A viable alternative from an Indian supplier could appeal to defense contractors and manufacturers seeking supply chain diversification, particularly as geopolitical tensions complicate semiconductor sourcing. Whether the chip gains traction beyond domestic Indian customers will depend on its performance specifications and pricing against established competitors.
Netrasemi has not disclosed the A2000's processing throughput, power consumption figures, or target pricing. The company also faces the challenge that most robotics software stacks are optimized for Nvidia's CUDA architecture, requiring either software adaptation or performance trade-offs.
