IIT Madras Launches Indigenous Supercomputer ‘Param Shakti’

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has announced the launch of ‘Param Shakti’, a high-performance supercomputer conceptualised and manufactured entirely within India. Backed by the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), Param Shakti emerges as one of the most powerful academic computing systems in the country.

Petascale Computing Power

Param Shakti is capable of performing over 3.1 quadrillion calculations per second (3.1 petaflops), placing it among the leading academic supercomputing assets nationwide. The system is expected to significantly enhance computational capabilities available to researchers at IIT Madras and beyond.

Enabling Advanced Multidisciplinary Research

The supercomputer is projected to strengthen research across diverse domains such as aerospace engineering, climate and environmental studies, materials science, pharmaceuticals, and advanced manufacturing. By providing access to petascale computing, Param Shakti is expected to promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and accelerate innovation.

Modern Infrastructure and Energy-Efficient Design

Housed within upgraded facilities at IIT Madras, Param Shakti is supported by uninterrupted power supply, advanced cooling mechanisms, and energy-aware data centre operations. The infrastructure ensures high reliability and sustainability while supporting ongoing and future research initiatives.

National Supercomputing Mission: Driving Self-Reliance

The National Supercomputing Mission, launched in 2015, is jointly steered by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is responsible for the design, development, and deployment of supercomputing systems under the mission.

The NSM aims to build indigenous high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities, strengthen India’s technological self-reliance, and support cutting-edge research across academia, industry, and government.

Capacity Building and Human Resource Development

As part of the mission’s human resource development (HRD) component, five supercomputing training centres have been established at Pune, Kharagpur, Chennai, Palakkad, and Goa. These centres focus on increasing awareness, skills, and familiarity with supercomputing among students, researchers, and faculty members.