The PARAM Rudra supercomputer has been inaugurated at the S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) in Kolkata, introducing high-performance computing (HPC) to the Eastern Region of India. The system is expected to benefit around 10-12 institutions and thousands of researchers by providing computational power to accelerate scientific research in fields such as advanced materials, high-energy physics, earth sciences, and cosmology.
Developed under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), the PARAM Rudra series is part of a broader effort led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Similar installations have been made in Pune and Delhi as part of this mission.
The supercomputer at SNBNCBS, with a computational capacity of 838 TFLOPS, is expected to support institutions such as the Bose Institute, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata. These facilities will allow researchers to perform complex calculations and simulations faster, enabling more efficient scientific investigations.
In materials science, the supercomputer is expected to accelerate the discovery and design of new materials. In Earth Science, it will support computational modeling, including studies of planetary materials and experimental data from advanced techniques such as Laser Heated Diamond Anvil Cell (LHDAC) experiments. Biological sciences will benefit from its ability to apply machine learning in biomolecular studies, aiding disease understanding and treatment development. It will also enhance quantum chemistry research by exploring the electronic structure of molecules.
For astrophysics, PARAM Rudra will enable complex simulations and calculations related to high-energy photons, astrophysical neutrinos, and the modeling of dense matter, including research linked to the ALICE experiment at CERN.
Beyond scientific research, the supercomputer is expected to contribute to other sectors such as disaster management, economic growth, and weather prediction. These capabilities are aligned with broader goals of improving various sectors and advancing India’s technological landscape.
This development represents an important step in India’s goal to strengthen its high-performance computing capabilities and provide its scientific community with tools to drive innovation. The supercomputer’s capacity to aid in multiple disciplines is expected to have a lasting impact on both scientific research and practical applications in industry.