National Quantum Mission calls for proposals to establish four tech hubs

The government has announced the initiation of a call for proposals to establish four technology hubs under the National Quantum Mission (NQM). The decision was made during the inaugural meeting of the Mission Governing Board (MGB), chaired by Ajai Chowdhry, co-founder of HCL Infosystems.

Launched on April 19, 2023, the NQM is a visionary initiative with an allocated budget of ₹6,003.65 crore aimed at fostering expertise and capabilities in four critical areas of quantum technologies: communications, computing, metrology and sensing, and materials. The mission, spanning eight years, seeks to build a quantum communications network covering 2,000 kilometers and achieve a quantum computing power of 1,000 qubits. This ambitious goal will be realized through collaborations between industry and academia, as well as support for startups developing quantum computing applications.

To facilitate the effective implementation of the NQM, a coordination cell, the Mission Coordination Cell (MCC), will be established as a coordinating agency. Working in conjunction with the Mission Secretariat at the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the MCC will operate under the supervision of the Mission Technology Research Council (MTRC).

The NQM plans to create four mission hubs focusing on quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices. These hubs will operate as consortia, involving academia, research and development labs, and industry players, as highlighted by DST Secretary Abhay Karandikar.

During the MGB meeting, a "Call for Pre-proposals" was approved, marking the commencement of the process to invite proposals for setting up the four technology hubs under the NQM in a consortia format. Emphasizing the importance of developing indigenous systems, V K Saraswat, Member of Niti Aayog, stressed that industry participation would be pivotal in both technology sharing and funding.

The NQM, with an overarching goal to reduce reliance on imported systems, was officially approved by the Union Cabinet in April of the previous year. Over an eight-year period, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) will oversee the implementation of the mission.

This latest move aligns with the government's commitment to fostering innovation and self-sufficiency in cutting-edge technologies. It comes on the heels of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) signing three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with tech giant IBM on October 19, 2023. These MoUs aim to accelerate innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor technology, and quantum technology, reinforcing the collaborative spirit in advancing India's technological landscape.