India pitches collaboration in quantum computing to Moscow
India has pitched collaborative efforts in quantum computing with Russia. Its objective is to achieve its $730 million National Quantum Mission (NQM) targets by 2030-31.
The initiative is aimed at creating a complete national quantum ecosystem, including intermediate-scale quantum computers, communication networks, and quantum materials and components, Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar told the BRICS Quantum Technologies forum in Moscow on Monday.
The envoy cited the four technology hubs set up at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Madras, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi as well as in Bengaluru, which connect researchers and institutions as drivers of human resource development, training and international collaboration in the fledgling field.
“A key mandate of these four hubs is international cooperation. India is looking to collaborate in advanced computing technology,” he said.
New Delhi is committed to taking a leadership role in the field, with international collaboration including researcher mobility, startup partnerships and joint innovation efforts, he said.
The NQM, headed by the Department of Atomic Energy, aims to create a vibrant ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT); the Indian federal government approved the policy in 2023.
India plans to develop its own quantum computers by 2031, as it explores technology that could dramatically boost computing power for applications such as drug discovery, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and climate modeling.
The NQM aims to build quantum computers with between 50 and 1,000 qubits – the basic units of information in such computers. The more qubits one has, the more powerful it is.
Russia unveiled its first 50-qubit quantum computer prototype developed by the Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Russian Quantum Center in December, 2024.
New Delhi is also planning satellite-based secure quantum communications between ground stations over 1,200 miles away from each other within the country, and long-distance secure quantum communications with other countries.
Last week, a top minister from India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh called for collaboration with Moscow on artificial intelligence and quantum computing during a visit to the recently concluded St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
