Lok Sabha Question No. 258 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Development of Superconducting Qubit Chips
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Smt. Lovely Anand

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION No. *258 ANSWERED ON 17/12/2025

## DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCONDUCTING QUBIT CHIPS

## *258. SMT. LOVELY ANAND:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has initiated collaborative programmes with semiconductor  R&D  labs  and  quantum  startups  to develop superconducting qubit chips, silicon spin qubits and photonic quantum circuits in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  any  projects  or  outreach  have  been  extended  to institutions in Bihar and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether semi-cryogenic or dilution refrigeration labs have been commissioned with Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) or Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) to test sub-50 mK operational environments and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the number of Indian patents or preprints filed in quantum error correction, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography; and
- (e) whether a national quantum cloud infrastructure is being built and if  any  access  is  being  provided  to  startups  and  MSMEs  including those in Bihar for algorithm prototyping and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT AS REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  258  FOR  17.12.2025  REGARDING DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCONDUCTING QUBIT CHIPS

(a) to (e): Department of Science and Technology is implementing the National Quantum Mission (NQM) with an outlay of ₹6003.65 crore over a period of eight years. Under the Mission, four Thematic  Hubs  (T-Hubs)  were  established  engaged  in  Technology Development, Human Resource Development, Entrepreneurship Development & Industry Collaboration, and International Collaborations.  One  of  these  T-Hubs  is  established  in  Quantum Computing at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Under this Hub, the following six Technical Groups are pursuing collaborative research programmes with semiconductor R&D laboratories, academic institutions, and quantum start-ups to advance superconducting qubit chips, silicon spin qubits, and photonic quantum circuits:

|   S. No. | Technical Group/Lead Institution                                                                         | Lead Institution                    | Technology Domain                     |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|        1 | Design and Demonstration of a Highly Scalable Quantum Computer using Semiconducting Qubits               | IIT Delhi                           | Semiconducting Qubits                 |
|        2 | Programmable photonic quantum computing using qubits encoded in different degrees of freedom of a photon | IISc. Bengaluru                     | Photonic Qubits                       |
|        3 | Photonics quantum processor development                                                                  | IISc. Bengaluru                     | Integrated Photonic Quantum Processor |
|        4 | Quantum Computing with Neutral Atoms, Trapped Ions and Related Hybrid Systems                            | Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru | Neutral Atom Qubits                   |

|   S. No. | Technical Group/Lead Institution                                                       | Lead Institution                                      | Technology Domain      |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|
|        5 | Development of a 50-qubit quantum information processor with electron spins in silicon | IIT Bombay                                            | Spin Qubits            |
|        6 | Quantum computers with super-conducting qubits                                         | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai | Superconducting Qubits |

In addition, three quantum start-ups are also being supported under the Mission in the area of Quantum Computing, including:

- i. QpiAI  India  Pvt.  Ltd.  -  Development  of  a  64-qubit  full-stack quantum computer using superconducting qubits.
- ii. Dimira  Technologies  Pvt.  Ltd.  -  Indigenous  development  of cryogenic flexible high-density I/O cables for quantum computers.
- iii. Prenishq  Pvt.  Ltd.  -  High-precision  diode  laser  systems  for photonics-intensive quantum technologies.

Four T-Hubs comprise of 14 Technical Groups and 17 Project Teams, bringing  together  152  researchers  from  43  institutions  across  17 States  and  2  Union  Territories,  including  Bihar.  Indian  Institute  of Technology Patna is a Member Institute in the Technical  Group onQuantum Computing with Neutral Atoms, Trapped Ions and Related Hybrid  Systems-  under  the  Quantum  Computing  T-  Hub  at  IISc Bengaluru.

One of the Technical Groups established in the area of superconducting  qubits  under  the  National  Quantum  Mission  has initiated  the  establishment  of  dilution-refrigeration  laboratories  at TIFR Mumbai, IISc Bengaluru and TIFR Hyderabad. Procurement and installation activities are in progress, and these facilities are designed to support quantum-hardware testing in the 10-50 mK regime required for superconducting-qubit research. These efforts form an integral part of  the  Mission's  strategy  to  strengthen  national  capabilities  in quantum-device prototyping, validation and pilot-scale experimentation.

The Government, through the NQM, is actively supporting research and innovation  in  quantum  error  correction,  quantum  key  distribution (QKD), and post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Two startups supported by DST-QuNu Labs and QpiAI-have made significant advancements in  quantum  technologies.  QuNu  Labs  has  developed  a  distinctive quantum security platform named Qshield. QpiAI has developed a 25qubit superconducting quantum computer called QpiAI Indus, which integrates advanced quantum processors and next-generation quantum-High Performance Computing (HPC) software platforms.

Patents and preprints arising from these efforts are reflected within the broader national portfolio of quantum technologies. The Mission strengthens  mechanisms  for  documenting  and  showcasing  such outcomes as part of India's growing quantum ecosystem.

Under NQM, a national quantum-computing ecosystem is supported through  the  establishment  of  a  Quantum  Computing  Fabrication Facility  at  IISc  Bengaluru  to  support  indigenous  development  of quantum-computing chips. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has developed an indigenous quantum simulator (QSim) and a unified quantum-computing platform (Qniverse), integrated with high-performance  computing  systems,  which  provide  researchers, students,  start-ups  and  MSMEs  with  access  to  quantum-algorithm prototyping across multiple hardware backends. These facilities are accessible  nationwide,  including  to  start-ups  and  MSMEs  based  in Bihar.

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