PARAM SHAKTI Supercomputer: Imagine a machine so powerful that it can perform 3.1 quadrillion calculations every second, that’s what India’s PARAM SHAKTI supercomputer does. Launched in January 2026 at IIT Madras, it’s an indigenously developed, high-performance computing (HPC) system built under India’s National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
What Is PARAM SHAKTI Supercomputer?
PARAM SHAKTI isn’t just another computer, it’s a supercomputer. That means it’s designed to solve very large and complex problems that would take ordinary computers years to finish. Whether you’re trying to model climate change or design next-generation aircraft, this machine gives Indian researchers the computational “muscle” to do it.
Made in India
What makes PARAM SHAKTI special is that it was built entirely in India by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) using RUDRA series servers and indigenous software platforms like AlmaLinux and C-DAC’s own system stack. This isn’t just about performance, it’s about reducing dependence on foreign technology in critical areas of national strength.
The system runs on open-source software and supports multiple GPU architectures meaning researchers can choose the best tools for their work without being locked into a single vendor.
Why 3.1 Petaflops Is Important?
You’ve probably heard the term petaflops tossed around, and PARAM SHAKTI delivers 3.1 petaflops of computing power, that’s 3.1 quadrillion calculations per second!
To put that in perspective:
- Ordinary laptops measure computing in gigaflops or teraflops.
- A petaflop is a thousand trillion operations per second.
- PARAM SHAKTI sits among the most powerful supercomputers in Indian academic institutions.
How PARAM SHAKTI Strengthens India’s Scientific Ecosystem?
1. Aerospace Engineering
When designing aircraft whether fighter jets or drones engineers need to simulate airflow, stress factors, fuel efficiency, structural integrity at high speeds, and more. The simulations performed in this process demand enormous computational capabilities. PARAM SHAKTI provides:
- Realistic shaping of air flow simulations
- Modeling engine working (e.g., hypersonic flight)
- Performing structural tests without the need to create physical prototypes
2. Climate Science
The processes of climate change are quite complicated. Accurate forecasting of monsoon behavior, cyclone trajectories, temperature transformations, or long-term climate change, etc. essentially relies on an enormous amount of data being processed with sophisticated models. PARAM SHAKTI gives the opportunity to researchers to:
- Develop climate models of very high resolution
- Enhance disaster prediction and early warning systems
- Shape sustainability and adaptation strategies
3. Defence Research
Data and simulation are becoming the cornerstones of defence strategies. The continuous operation of PARAM SHAKTI provides support for the following:
- The study of materials leading to the development of stronger, lighter alloys
- Defence component simulations under extreme conditions of operation
- Conducting weapon and vehicle behavior testing without incurring the costs of physical prototypes
4. Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
In order to develop the next generation of applications ranging from space technology to medical devices, researchers need to have knowledge about materials down to the atomic level. PARAM SHAKTI supports:
- Simulations at the atomic level
- Development of models for smart manufacturing
- Optimization of additive manufacturing processes
5. Drug Discovery & Healthcare Innovation
The process of identifying new drugs is very lengthy the traditional way. The simulation of molecular interactions and protein folding at very high scales (which is a reason supercomputers are used) makes it possible to get to the target diseases quickly and efficiently. PARAM SHAKTI gives the researchers the following access:
- The possibility of testing virtually millions of compounds
- Modeling interactions in biology
- Speeding up the timelines for drug development
PARAM SHAKTI Supercomputer: Infrastructure
Istallation of such a big supercomputer includes lot of hardware but it also requires:
- Uninterrupted power supply system all the time
- Very effective cooling mechanisms
- Data center operations with very low energy consumption
These power-saving operational methods are the main reason why PARAM SHAKTI has been able to perform at the maximum level and at the same time the energy costs have been reduced to the minimum.
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Part of a Larger National Vision
PARAM SHAKTI is connected to the supercomputing grid of the whole India which is one of the nodes of the Indian National Supercomputing Grid. Along with this, the aim of research and innovation through the installation of more than 70 supercomputers across the country has been set as the main goal of the project.
The grid will provide access to super-computing power not only to the researchers but also to the students and the startups throughout India thus contributing to making high-end research more accessible. This is indeed a major leap forward in the scientific infrastructure of the nation.
Exascale and Beyond
India’s supercomputing adventure is not going to stop at 10^15 calculations per second (petaflops). The plan is to gradually reach exascale level machines that can perform quintillion (10^18) calculations in a second. PARAM SHAKTI is one of the important elements in this transition, it is helping India to develop the next generation of HPC capacity
