NIT Warangal researchers have designed an energy-efficient microchip to reduce battery waste in IoT gadgets. Backed by the government's 'Chips to Startup' scheme, this indigenous design is currently moving from the laboratory phase toward potential commercial production.
Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Warangal have reached a new milestone in semiconductor design, creating a specialized microchip aimed at improving the efficiency of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. As connected hardware becomes ubiquitous in smartphones and smart gadgets, battery life has become a critical performance metric. The new Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) is designed to minimize energy waste when devices are in standby mode, directly addressing the common issue of rapid battery depletion in portable electronics.
The project, led by PhD scholar Kaira Anupama with contributions from Jayaram Chilaka, focuses on specific architectural improvements to enhance thermal and power efficiency. The chip utilizes a Low Drop-Out (LDO) regulator combined with an integrated temperature sensor. This setup allows the device to monitor heat levels continuously while maintaining stability, even when manufacturing or environmental temperatures fluctuate. The entire development process was conducted over a three-year period with an R&D cost of approximately Rs 4 lakhs.
This development is significant within the broader context of the Indian semiconductor ecosystem. The research received financial and strategic support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the 'Chips to Startup' (C2S) initiative. This government program is specifically aimed at creating a pipeline of indigenous chip designs, reducing the country's heavy reliance on imported semiconductors for consumer and industrial electronics.
While the design has shown promise in experimental, laboratory-scale testing, it remains in the pre-commercial stage. Transitioning from a successful research design to mass-market production—often called the lab-to-fab journey—is a major hurdle for any semiconductor project. The researchers are currently looking for external funding and industrial partners to move toward large-scale fabrication. Based on initial estimates, the cost per unit could range between Rs 50 and Rs 60, provided that the project can achieve sufficient manufacturing scale.
The next steps for the project include securing patent protection for the design and establishing collaborations with private firms capable of integrating the chip into commercial product lines. For the industry, the success of such initiatives will depend on their ability to overcome the challenges of scaling manufacturing, meeting quality standards for mass production, and integrating these chips into competitive consumer hardware. This development highlights the ongoing effort in Indian academic institutions to contribute localized solutions to the global semiconductor supply chain.