From PARAM to PARAM Rudra: India's Progress in Supercomputing

Why in the News?

India's progress in supercomputing highlights its efforts to develop advanced computing infrastructure and strengthen technological self-reliance under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).

India's Supercomputing Progress

• PARAM 8000: Introduced in 1991, it marked an important milestone in India's indigenous supercomputing journey, with a computing speed of approximately one gigaflop.
• National Supercomputing Mission: Launched in 2015, it is jointly implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), with an outlay of around ₹4,500 crore.
• Current capacity: According to the provided report, as of September 2026, India had deployed 40 supercomputers with a combined capacity of 68 petaflops.
• Future target: The mission aims to establish 50 supercomputers with a combined capacity exceeding 123 petaflops.

Indigenous Technology

• C-DAC has developed the Rudra series of servers, supporting India's efforts to build supercomputers using domestic technology.
• The mission also promotes indigenous system software, high-speed networks and cooling technologies.
• These developments support Atmanirbhar Bharat by reducing dependence on imported computing infrastructure.

Applications of Supercomputing

• Weather and disaster management: Improves weather forecasting and flood prediction.
• Healthcare: Supports drug discovery and genomic research.
• Environment: Helps model climate change, forest fires and urban air pollution.
• Science and engineering: Advances space research, seismic studies and complex simulations.
• Artificial intelligence: Provides computing capacity for training advanced AI models.

Research and Skill Development

• The report states that more than 16,000 researchers across over 400 institutions have benefited from NSM infrastructure.
• The National Knowledge Network connects academic and research institutions, enabling collaboration and resource sharing.
• Training programmes and research facilities help develop skilled professionals in high-performance computing and AI.

Significance

• Supercomputing strengthens India's scientific capabilities, supports innovation and improves its ability to develop solutions to national challenges. Its integration with AI can benefit agriculture, healthcare, energy and climate research, contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

About National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)

• Launch: 2015; a Central Sector Scheme to strengthen India's High-Performance Computing (HPC) capabilities.
• Nodal Agencies: Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Implementing Agencies: C-DAC, Pune, and IISc, Bengaluru.
• Objective: Develop indigenous supercomputing technology, support scientific research and reduce dependence on imports.
• National Knowledge Network (NKN): Provides high-speed connectivity to academic and research institutions.
• Indigenous Technology: Rudra servers support PARAM Rudra supercomputers. Trinetra is an indigenous high-speed communication network for computing systems.
• AIRAWAT: An AI-focused computing initiative supporting researchers, startups and innovation.
• Key Installations: PARAM Shivay (IIT-BHU, 2019), PARAM Pravega (IISc Bengaluru, 2022) and three PARAM Rudra systems commissioned in 2024.
• Applications: Climate modelling, weather forecasting, disaster management, drug discovery and material science.
• Capacity Building: HPC training centres develop skilled researchers and professionals.

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)

• Established: 1988.
• Administrative Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Nature: A premier research and development organisation working in IT, electronics and related fields.
• Purpose: Established to develop indigenous supercomputing capabilities after the United States denied India access to advanced supercomputers.
• Major Achievement: Developed PARAM 8000 in 1991, India's first indigenously built supercomputer.
• Significance: C-DAC promotes technological self-reliance and advances research in high-performance computing and other emerging technologies.

Practice Questions

Q. With reference to the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) and India's supercomputing infrastructure, consider the following statements:

1. The National Supercomputing Mission was launched in 2015 and is implemented exclusively by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
2. PARAM Shivay, installed at IIT-BHU in 2019, was the first supercomputer established under the National Supercomputing Mission.
3. Trinetra is an indigenous high-speed communication network developed by C-DAC to facilitate data transfer between computing nodes.
4. AIRAWAT was developed primarily to connect academic and research institutions through the National Knowledge Network.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 2 and 3 only 
(b) 1 and 4 only 
(c) 1, 2 and 3 only 
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only

Correct Answer: (a) 2 and 3 only

Explanation

• Statement 1 is incorrect. NSM was launched in 2015, but it is implemented jointly by C-DAC, Pune, and IISc, Bengaluru, rather than exclusively by C-DAC.
• Statement 2 is correct. PARAM Shivay was installed at IIT-BHU, Varanasi, in 2019 and was the first supercomputer established under NSM.
• Statement 3 is correct. Trinetra is an indigenous high-speed communication network developed by C-DAC to improve data transfer between computing nodes in supercomputing systems.
• Statement 4 is incorrect. AIRAWAT focuses on artificial intelligence computing, whereas the National Knowledge Network provides high-speed connectivity between academic and research institutions.