India embarked on its National Quantum Mission (NQM) with a clear vision of becoming a global leader in quantum technology. Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman of the NQM Mission Board, presented the strategic plan, which includes the creation of four thematic clusters focused on computing, communication, sensors and materials.
“As per the plan created by India, we are on the right track. So we have decided to create four thematic hubs in the country, one for IT, one for communication, one for sensors and another for materials We then launched a call for tenders to all researchers and institutes in the country. And this request for proposal took place on January 20th. The response has been phenomenal. What we’re working on now is pre-screening from there. We therefore sift through these applications.
We will put forward the right applications that we think are good and then we will have a group session and decide to look at the technical aspects of the people who actually applied and then at some point around August we will have finalized who will run each of these hubs. And each of these centers will be Section 8 corporations with full authority, full funding and everything provided to them,” Chowdhry said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.
According to
NASSCOM, quantum technology could add at least $300 billion to India’s GDP by 2030. To support this, the Indian government announced the National Quantum Mission in 2023, with a budget of Rs 6,000 crore. Half of this funding is dedicated to the creation of four technology hubs, aiming to catch up with global advances and foster innovation.
Chowdhry noted that there is a need for India to focus on building skills in quantum technology with thematic hubs under the quantum mission programme. He also urged startups to invest in this growing field.
India’s efforts are part of a broader global trend. More than 30 governments around the world have committed more than $40 billion to quantum technologies over the next decade, as reported by IQM. China leads with an estimated investment of $15 billion, followed by the United States with nearly $4 billion through its National Quantum Initiative. Large technology companies like Google, Microsoft, AWS and IBM, based in the United States, are at the forefront of quantum computing.
Ajay Kumar Sood, India’s chief scientific advisor, noted that although India has around 45 startups in the quantum sector, this number needs to increase to improve global competitiveness. He added that software as a service (SaaS) will be a major theme in quantum computing.
Although India is currently a decade behind leading countries in quantum technology, it has made significant progress in launching its dedicated quantum mission. The move places India among the elite group of countries, including the United States, Austria, Finland, France, Canada and China, that are committed to advancing quantum technology.
Watch the accompanying video for the full discussion.
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