Kerala startup unveils India’s first AI system-on-chip

Kerala-based fabless semiconductor startup Netrasemi launched its flagship AI system-on-chip, the A2000, after silicon bring-up in May 2026. The A2000 is designed in India and uses TSMC’s 12 nm process node for edge devices such as smart cameras, edge AI boxes, and intelligent video gateways.

Fabless semiconductor design

A fabless semiconductor company designs chips without owning a fabrication plant. Netrasemi was founded in 2020 by CEO Jyothis Indirabhai and is based in Kerala. The company has raised ₹125 crore from investors including Zoho and Unicorn India Ventures.

Features of the A2000 chip

The A2000 integrates in-house developed neural processing, vision processing, image signal processing, and crypto engines. The chip is intended for compact and power-efficient edge devices, which process data near the source rather than in a central cloud server.

Related Indian semiconductor initiatives

Netrasemi was among the first four startups to receive ₹15 crore in 2023 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s Design Linked Incentive scheme. The company is also developing the R1000 AI/ML MCU for the IoT sensor market with the College of Engineering Trivandrum.

Important Facts for Exams

• TSMC is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, one of the world’s largest semiconductor foundries.
• 12 nm refers to a semiconductor process node used in chip fabrication.
• Edge AI devices process data close to the device, sensor, or camera.
• Fabless firms focus on chip design and outsource manufacturing to foundries.

Future chip roadmap

Netrasemi is also developing the A4000 edge AI server chip, which is expected to be fabrication-ready by the second quarter of 2027. Commercial production of the A2000 is targeted for mid-2027 at TSMC’s Taiwan facility.