The Pentium Pioneer Who Put India on the Map

Vinod Dham – “Father of the Pentium Chip”

Long before semiconductors became India’s buzzword, Vinod Dham made them part of the country’s pride. Known worldwide as the “Father of the Pentium Chip,” Dham’s innovations at Intel in the 1990s helped revolutionize computing, making personal computers faster, more accessible, and ubiquitous.

Dham’s Pentium processors powered the PC revolution, bringing computing into homes and offices globally. But his impact didn’t end there. He went on to lead transformative roles at companies like AMD and later became a venture capitalist, supporting startups in semiconductors and beyond.

What makes Dham’s story inspiring is not just his technical brilliance but his trailblazing identity as one of the first Indian engineers to shape Silicon Valley’s core technology. At a time when India was barely visible in the semiconductor landscape, Dham became a symbol of what Indian talent could achieve globally.

Today, as India accelerates its own semiconductor mission, young chip designers still look back at Dham’s journey as a blueprint. His career reminds us that innovation knows no borders — and that sometimes, a single chip can change the destiny of an industry.