Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, announced on Wednesday that the National Quantum Mission has received approval from the Union Cabinet and a financial allocation of Rs 6003 crores has been passed.
The National Quantum Mission (NQM), which aims to seed, develop, and scale up scientific and industry R&D and establish a vibrant and inventive ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT), was authorised during the Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Mr. Anurag, the country’s ecosystem will be strengthened, and India will become one of the top countries for the development of quantum technologies and applications (QTA).
The new project aims to build intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50–1000 physical qubits over an 8-year period on a variety of platforms, including superconducting and photonics.
Long-distance secure quantum communications with other nations, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km, and multi-node satellite-based secure quantum communications within India over a range of 2000 km Quantum networks with quantum memories are among the Mission’s deliverables.
The expedition will aid in the creation of atomic clocks for precise time, communication, and navigation as well as magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems. Additionally, it will aid in the design and synthesis of quantum materials for the creation of quantum devices, including superconductors, innovative semiconductor architectures, and topological materials. Single photon sources/detectors, and entangled photon sources will also be developed for quantum communications, sensing and metrological applications.
Top academic and national R&D institutions will establish four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) in the fields of quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing & metrology, and quantum materials & devices. The hubs will concentrate on doing basic and applied research to provide new knowledge and will support R&D in areas that are assigned to them.
The country’s ecology for technological growth could become internationally competitive thanks to NQM. The mission would have a significant positive impact on the financial, energy, health, communication, and pharmaceutical industries as well as space applications. Priorities including “Digital India,” “Make in India,” “Skill India,” “Stand-up India,” “Start-up India,” “Self-reliant India,” and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) will receive a significant boost as a result.