The Union Cabinet of India has given Rs.6003.65 crore go ahead for the National Quantum Mission from 2023-24 to 2030-31.
The National Quantum Mission aims to put India among the top six leading nations involved in the research and development in quantum technologies.
National Quantum Mission is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at harnessing the power of quantum technologies. The mission seeks to unlock the potential of quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing.
National Quantum Mission aims to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT).
What is the National Quantum Mission (NQM)?
- The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will lead National Quantum Mission with a view to strengthening India’s R&D in the quantum technology.
- The NQM will target developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology.
- Satellite based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 kilometres within India, long distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km as well as multi-node Quantum network with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the Mission.
- The mission will help develop magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems and Atomic Clocks for precision timing, communications and navigation.
- It will also support design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for fabrication of quantum devices.
- Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) will be set up in top academic and National R&D institutes on the domains - Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology and Quantum Materials & Devices.
- The hubs will focus on generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D.
- The Mission will have wide-scale applications ranging from healthcare and diagnostics, defence, energy and data security.
Key Takeaways
- Three is a need to make large scale investments to make headway in quantum computing. Such large investment requires the support of the government.
- Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems. Confidence that quantum computing will solve important problems that are beyond the reach of traditional computers is growing rapidly.
