On the sidelines of India International Science Festival few days ago, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology (DST), called upon the industry captains and startups to send proposals to set up quantum technology hubs across the country.
The hubs will be set up in the consortium format on the themes of four domains of quantum technology – quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing & metrology, and quantum materials & devices.
In quantum technology adoption, China and the Netherlands are leading the world. A survey by French IT services company Capgemini found that in both countries more than 40 per cent organizations said they are working or planning to work with quantum technologies. China and the Netherlands are followed by the UK, Germany, France, the US, India and Japan.
The ranking is not necessarily related to availability of quantum solutions or advancements made by a particular country.
The US and China are neck to neck in race but it is believed the US holds an edge. The US also has the highest number of patent filings (36%) in Q4 2023, and this was 11% up from 25% filed in Q3 2023. The US is followed by Japan (11%) and China (9%) in patents.
On the other hand, top five global companies accounted for 29% of patent filing. IBM topped with 72 quantum computing-related patents in the Q4 2024 , compared with 75 in the previous quarter. It was followed by Alphabet(31), Microsoft(21), and Arqit Quantum(17) in the same quarter.
But what is most significant is that the announcement of setting up quantum hubs by Indian DST Secretary comes at a time when the global quantum technology industry experienced a decline in filing of patents by 34% as grants for the same fell by 20% in the last quarter.
India stands a chance here with vast pool of talent bristling with energy and ideas, raring to show its mettle in the sphere of IT and computing. And this is more out in open with present government’s robust push at the policy level. Under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), a budgetary allocation of Rs 8000 crore has already been made in 2020 for five years.
“The launch of the pre-proposal is an important step in the National Quantum Mission approved by the Cabinet last year. With a brainstorming session with researchers to identify expertise, strengths and opportunities scheduled soon, the Mission is expected to see substantial progress in the next few months. The NQM will also work in collaboration with industry and startups to translate research to deployable technologies. The DST will provide necessary resources for success of submission and to facilitate researchers so that India evolves to a competitive position at the international level,” said DST Secretary Prof. Karandikar.
The Mission aims to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in quantum technology. This will accelerate quantum technology-led economic growth, nurture the ecosystem in the country and make India one of the leading nations in the development of quantum technologies & applications.
The applications which will receive boost include those in aero-space engineering, numerical weather prediction, simulations, securing the communications & financial transactions, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, health, agriculture, education, and so on.
The range of quantum technologies is expected to be one of the major technology disruptions that will change entire paradigm of computation, communication and encryption. It is perceived that the countries who achieve an edge in this emerging field will have a greater advantage in garnering multifold economic growth and dominant leadership role.
The transition of quantum science and technology from a field of active interest in research laboratories to one that can be applied in day to day life is also the opportune moment that provides the space for many startup companies to grow.
It has become imperative both for government and industries to be prepared to harness these emerging and disruptive technologies in order to remain competitive, generate employment, foster economic growth and improve the overall quality of life.
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