The government approved it on Wednesday National Quantum Mission To nurture and expand scientific and industrial research and development in quantum technology. The mission involves an outlay of Rs 6,003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31.
The National Quantum Mission (NQM) was approved in the meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra ModiQuantum will drive technology-led economic growth and nurture the ecosystem in the country.
“The NQM is going to take India a giant leap in this field,” Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh told reporters here.
India will be the seventh country to have a dedicated quantum mission after the US, Austria, Finland, France, Canada and China.
“They are also in the R&D stage. None of them has started any application of it (quantum technology). We are also going to catch up,” Singh said.
“New mission targets intermediate scale development quantum computer with 50–1000 physical qubits in eight years in a variety of platforms such as superconducting and photonic techniques,” he said.
He said that satellite based safe quantum communication Long distance secure quantum communication with other countries, between ground stations within a range of 2000 km within India, intercity quantum key distribution over 2,000 km as well as multi-node quantum networks with quantum memory are some of the missions. There are deliverables.
The National Quantum Mission will be headed by a Mission Director with a dedicated Secretariat.
The Governing Body of the Mission will be headed by the I&B Minister, an eminent scientist or an entrepreneur in the field of technology, industry or research. Anurag Thakur Said.
He said that the Mission Technology Research Council would be headed by the Principal Scientific Adviser and would be the Scientific Advisory Mechanism for the Governing Body.
Singh said the mission will help develop high-sensitivity magnetometers in nuclear systems and atomic clocks for precise timing, communication and navigation.
Singh said it will also support the design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for building quantum devices. Single photon sources/detectors, entangled photon sources will also be developed for quantum communication, sensing and metrological applications, he said.
Singh said four thematic hubs (T-Hubs) would be set up at top academic and national research and development institutions on the domains – quantum computing, quantum communications, quantum sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices.
“The hubs will focus on creation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D in areas that are imperative for them,” the minister said.
Singh said organizations such as Raman Research Institute, Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (both in Bengaluru) and SN Bose National Center for Basic Sciences, Kolkata are doing research in the quantum field. Besides this, 20 other institutes are also engaged in research and development in this area, he said.
Singh said the mission can take the technology development ecosystem in the country to a globally competitive level.
The mission will greatly benefit the communications, health, financial and energy sectors, as well as drug design and space applications.
Singh said it will give a huge boost to the country’s priorities like Digital India, Make in India, Skill India and Stand-up India, Start-up India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).