The rise of Silicon Swadeshi marks a turning point for India’s hardware and AI ecosystem. Mindgrove has just launched the country’s first commercial RISC-V system-on-chip (SoC) designed for IoT and edge AI applications, signaling a major step toward domestic silicon capabilities. According to Wire Unwired, local silicon innovation not only boosts self-reliance but also strengthens national technology security. Keev Capital sees strategic value in supporting hardware–software co-design start-ups that serve the growing wave of vertical-AI applications dependent on efficient, in-country chip supply.
Why Edge-AI and Domestic Silicon Matter
The proliferation of IoT devices, industrial sensors, and AI-enabled edge nodes is driving an exponential demand for specialized processors. Unlike cloud-only AI, edge AI requires low-latency inference close to the data source. For India, relying solely on imported silicon introduces supply-chain vulnerabilities and cost inflation. Building a domestic ecosystem aligns with the vision of “Silicon Swadeshi,” where local chip design and fabrication underpin critical sectors like healthcare innovation and smart manufacturing.
Mindgrove’s RISC-V SoC reflects this shift, offering a modular, license-free architecture that allows rapid customization for AI workloads. Globally, the RISC-V movement is gaining momentum, with open hardware initiatives lowering entry barriers for next-generation chipmakers. By integrating such processors into IoT and industrial networks, India can accelerate both digital transformation and hardware independence.
The Case for Hardware Moats in Vertical AI
Vertical-AI start-ups, from precision agriculture to medical imaging, require predictable, secure access to specialized silicon. Domestic production creates a hardware moat, ensuring supply even during global chip shortages. It also allows tighter hardware–software integration, which improves AI inference speed and energy efficiency.
Keev Capital is particularly interested in start-ups that bridge design and deployment by co-developing algorithms optimized for local chips. For example, consumer-tech and environmental-tech solutions can integrate edge processors to monitor energy usage or air quality with real-time analytics, creating regulatory and market advantages. This co-design approach also makes compliance with export restrictions and data-localization rules more straightforward.
RISC-V and Global Hardware Trends
Globally, open-source RISC-V architectures are disrupting proprietary models long dominated by ARM and x86. In markets like the U.S., EU, and China, semiconductor strategies increasingly emphasize resilience and localization. India’s entry into this arena is timely, as domestic AI adoption is projected to grow 20% year-over-year in industrial and consumer IoT segments.
Start-ups participating in this trend can plug into a robust hardware value chain: edge devices feeding UPI-enabled fintech systems, AI-enhanced consumer goods, and smart city deployments. Partnerships with local fabs and research institutes will further shorten innovation cycles while attracting ESG-focused investors seeking sustainable, resilient supply chains.
Keev Capital’s Investment Lens
At Keev Capital, we believe the convergence of Silicon Swadeshi, edge AI, and vertical applications creates a once-in-a-decade opportunity. We prioritize start-ups building hardware–software co-design solutions that can scale across IoT, industrial automation, and regulated sectors. Integrating chip design expertise with vertical-AI domain knowledge delivers defensible IP and high switching costs for global and domestic customers.
This thesis extends to education and skills development, where learning-tech platforms can train the next generation of chip designers and embedded AI engineers. The long-term goal is to foster an ecosystem where India moves from chip consumer to chip creator, strengthening both economic and strategic moats.
Conclusion and Call to Action
The Silicon Swadeshi movement is more than a slogan, it is the foundation of India’s next technology leap. By combining RISC-V edge-AI chips with vertical-AI applications, domestic start-ups can create sustainable hardware moats, reduce reliance on imports, and deliver energy-efficient solutions at scale. As global supply chains remain volatile, local silicon ensures both resilience and market differentiation.
Keev Capital is committed to supporting start-ups that integrate hardware and AI for maximum market impact. Founders building edge-AI devices, IoT analytics, or chip-optimized software stacks can benefit from our experience in co-design investment strategies. Our team is ready to partner with innovators who see silicon independence as the next frontier for India’s AI-driven growth.