Indigenous Supercomputing Power Boost
Indian Institute of Technology Madras has launched the 'Param Shakti' supercomputing facility, featuring the 3.1 Petaflop PARAM RUDRA system. This powerful computing cluster is entirely built in India and operates on open-source software, marking a significant advancement in the nation's technological self-reliance.
The system integrates advanced cooling and data center operations, designed and implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). Funding comes from the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), a joint initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Accelerating Indian Innovation
A 3.1 Petaflop capability translates to over 3.1 quadrillion calculations per second. This immense power allows researchers to tackle large-scale, complex problems far more rapidly than before. Such advancements are critical for fields including aerospace, materials science, climate modeling, drug discovery, and advanced manufacturing, potentially reducing years of experimental work and driving global competitiveness.
"These efforts are strengthening India’s research and innovation ecosystem," stated S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, highlighting the deployment of 37 supercomputers nationwide with more planned. The PARAM SHAKTI facility also emphasizes energy efficiency, with a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) between 1.2 and 1.4, demonstrating sustainable infrastructure integration for cutting-edge research.