Cabinet Approves National Quantum Mission, Here’s What the Industry Has to Say

The Union Cabinet has approved the National Quantum Mission to help scale-up scientific and industrial research and development for quantum technologies. The total cost of the mission would amount to Rs 6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31. The objective of this new mission is to develop intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in different platforms such as superconducting and photonic technology within 8 years.

The industry is also appreciating this move by the Government of India. “The move by the government to approve National Quantum Mission is a major leap in the direction of scientific and industrial research and development. It will not only benefit the health, space applications and financial and energy sectors, but will give a major impetus towards AI and ML-related innovations. With a quantum ecosystem being built in India it will have increased accessibility and exposure to quantum technology to handle complex data processing and optimization problems in AI that traditional systems cannot handle. This could lead to AI systems and algorithms that are more powerful and intelligent than ever. It is an exciting time for India to witness a support for technology-led innovations, first with Make in AI in India and now with quantum technology,” said Prashanth Kaddi, Partner, Consulting, Deloitte India.

In the same vein, Sumant Parimal, Chief Analyst of 5 Jewels Research (5JR), believes that tech National Quantum Mission Could Be Y2K20 Moment For India. “It is good to see that the Government of India has approved release of a substantial amount of Rs 6003 Crore for launching and supporting India’s own National Quantum Mission, which was first envisioned under year 2020 budget of the Central Government. This amount is going to spur new R&Ds and innovations in areas of Quantum Technology and Quantum Computing, where World’s major economies are trying to establish their early leadership,” he said.

National Quantum Mission Focus Areas

As part of the mission, Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) will be set up in top academic and National R&D institutes of the country, which will focus on generating new knowledge through both basic and applied research, as well as promoting research and development in areas mandated to them. The domains that the T-hubs will focus on are as follows:

• Quantum computing.
• Quantum communication.
• Quantum sensing and metrology.
• Quantum materials and devices.

Nikhil Malhotra, Global Head, Makers Lab, Tech Mahindra says that the Indian Government needs to focus on the following four areas as part of the mission:

1. Quantum Security or QKD based post quantum cryptography: We already know that quantum keys, that uses quantum principles, are secure and can resist attacks from hackers. However, there needs to be a fundamental change at the network level for infrastructure and hardware devices that generates these keys. This an area which must be looked into for defense-based installations. 

2. Quantum Machine Learning: Leveraging quantum machine learning for:

• Drug discovery and chemical simulations.
• Satellite placements: With the growing debris and satellites around planet earth, Quantum optimization techniques can help with satellite placements.
• Weather analysis: Quantum techniques can help in simulating and alleviating the rise in the temperature of Earth.
• Diffuse terrorist networks.

3. Quantum Sensing: A precise quantum hardware can be used to sense earthquakes and other geological events.

4. Quantum education: In order to make India the hub of quantum, there must be a focus on imparting and improving the education across all levels.