Lok Sabha Question No. 2939 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Research and Development in Quantum Technologies
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Vishnu Datt Sharma

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2939 ANSWERED ON 06/08/2025

## RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES

## 2939. SHRI VISHNU DATT SHARMA:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  implementing  the  National  Quantum Mission (NQM) to promote Research and Development in  quantum technologies;
- (b) if so, the status of the creation and functioning of the four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) under the mission along with the details of the institutions selected, milestones achieved, and timelines proposed; and
- (c) if not, the reasons  for delay and  steps taken/being taken to operationalize these hubs effectively?

## ANSWER

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

विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा पृ थ्िी विज्ञान मंत्रालय क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्ितंत्र प्रभार) ( डॉ. जितेंद्र स ंह )

- (a) Yes,  Sir,  the  Government  is  implementing  the  National  Quantum Mission (NQM) to promote research, development, in quantum technologies with an outlay of ₹6003.65 crore for a period of eight years.
- (b) to (c): Under the Mission, four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs), each focusing on  a  specific  domain  of  quantum  technologies-Quantum  Computing, Quantum  Communication,  Quantum  Sensing  &  Metrology,  and  Quantum Materials & Devices-have been established in the financial year 2024-25, comprising  of  14  Technical  Groups  having  17  Project  Teams  across  43 institutions. The list of institutions is placed at Annexure I. These hubs have been  incorporated  as  Section-8  Companies  by  their  respective  host institutions  and  have  constituted  their  respective  Hub  Governing  Boards (HGBs)  for  effective  governance  and  administration.  Funds  have  been released to all four T-Hubs to initiate their operations. The hubs are now fully functional and  are  engaged  in  a  range  of  activities including Technology Development, Human Resource Development, Entrepreneurship Development & Industry Collaboration and International Collaborations. The details of the Thematic Hubs are placed below:

|   S. No. | Technology Vertical         | Name of the Host Institute                                                  | Name of the Section-8 Company             |
|----------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Quantum Computing           | Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru                                      | Foundation for QC Innovation              |
|        2 | Quantum Communication       | Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in association with C-DoT, New Delhi | IITM CDOT Samgnya Technologies Foundation |
|        3 | Quantum Sensing & Metrology | Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay                                      | Qmet Tech Foundation                      |
|        4 | Quantum Materials & Devices | Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi                                       | QMD Foundation                            |

The mission is for a period of eight years. However, the implementation broadly has three timelines, i.e. 3 years, 5 years and 8 years. Following are the key deliverables of the mission:

- i. Develop intermediate scale quantum computers with 20-50 physical qubits, 50-100 physical qubits and 50-1000 physical qubits in 3 years, 5 years and 8 years, respectively.
- ii. Develop satellite  based secure quantum communications between two ground stations over a range of 2000 kilometres within India as well  as  long  distance  secure  quantum  communications with other countries.
- iii. Develop  inter-city  quantum  key  distribution  over  2000  km  with trusted  nodes  using  wavelength  division  multiplexing  on  existing optical fibre.
- iv. Develop  multi-node  quantum  network  with  quantum  memories, entanglement  swapping  and  synchronised  quantum  repeaters  at each node (2-3 nodes).
- v. Develop  magnetometers with 1 femto-Tesla/sqrt  (Hz)  sensitivity  in atomic systems and better than 1 pico-Tesla/sqrt (Hz) sensitivity in nitrogen vacancy-centers; gravity measurements having sensitivity better than 100 nano-meter/second 2  using atoms and atomic clocks with 10 -19  fractional instability for precision timing, communications and navigation.
- vi. Design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel Semiconductor structures and topological materials for fabrication of quantum devices for quantum computing and communication.

## List of Institutions supported under National Quantum Mission (NQM)

| S. No.            | Institutes                                                             |
|-------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1                 | Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi                                  |
| 2                 | Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur                                 |
| 3                 | Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee                                |
| 4                 | Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay                                 |
| 5                 | Indian Institute of Technology, Madras                                 |
| 6                 | Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar                                  |
| 7                 | Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati                               |
| 8                 | Indian Institute of Technology, Patna                                  |
| 9                 | Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani, Hyderabad              |
| 10                | The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai                        |
| 11                | Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida                      |
| 12                | Society for Electronic Transaction and Security, Chennai               |
| 13                | Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Bengaluru                |
| 14                | Indian Institute of Technology, Indore                                 |
| 15                | Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram |
| 16                | Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune               |
| 17                | Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru                                    |
| 18                | National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar      |
| 19                | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai                         |
| 20 Tata Institute | of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad                                     |
| 21                | Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru    |
| 22                | Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur                              |
| 23                | Indian Institute of Technology, Bhilai                                 |
| 24                | Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu                                  |
| 25                | Indian Institute of Technology, Tirupati                               |
| 26                | Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru                                 |
| 27                | Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal             |
| 28                | Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali             |
| 29                | Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram   |
| 30                | Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Thiruvananthapuram       |

|   S. No. | Institutes                                                               |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       31 | Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar                              |
|       32 | TCG Centres of Research and Education in Science and Technology, Kolkata |
|       33 | Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Prayagraj                             |
|       34 | Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata               |
|       35 | Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Goa                           |
|       36 | University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad                                       |
|       37 | S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata                    |
|       38 | Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar                              |
|       39 | Indian Space Research Organisation, Ahmedabad                            |
|       40 | Solid State Physics Laboratory, Delhi                                    |
|       41 | Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad                                |
|       42 | Centre for Development of Telematics, Delhi                              |
|       43 | Indian Space Research Organisation, Bengaluru                            |

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