IISc sets up quantum computing hub under National Quantum Mission
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has established a not-for-profit company to serve as a thematic hub for quantum computing under the National Quantum Mission (NQM)
The hub is designed to bring together researchers, industry players, and startups to advance indigenous quantum technology development
Shared facilities under the hub will support the fabrication and testing of quantum devices, including chips based on superconducting and photonic qubit platforms
The initiative aims to build a skilled quantum workforce and reduce India's dependence on foreign quantum technology
National Quantum Mission (NQM) — Structure and Objectives
The National Quantum Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on 19 April 2023 with a total outlay of ₹6,003.65 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2030-31. It is a Department of Science and Technology (DST) initiative aimed at seeding, nurturing, and scaling up scientific and industrial R&D in quantum technology, spanning quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices.
The IISc quantum computing hub is one of the operational instruments through which NQM's quantum computing vertical is being executed on the ground — converting the Cabinet-approved mission outlay into a functioning research-industry consortium.
Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) — Institutional Design of NQM
NQM is implemented through four dedicated Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs), each established as a Section 8 (not-for-profit) company, and each anchored at a different premier institute covering one of the mission's four verticals. This hub-and-spoke model is intended to concentrate specialized infrastructure and talent while enabling distributed participation from academia, startups, and industry.
Key Details
- Four T-Hubs, each a Section 8 not-for-profit company under the Companies Act, 2013
- Anchor institutions: IISc Bengaluru, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras (with C-DOT), and IIT Delhi (with the Physical Research Laboratory)
- Each hub focuses on one NQM vertical; the IISc hub is designated for quantum computing
- The hub model mirrors similar Section-8 not-for-profit structures used elsewhere in Indian S&T governance (e.g., Digital India Corporation's semiconductor mission arm)
The not-for-profit company IISc has set up is precisely this Section-8 T-Hub structure — the institutional mechanism NQM uses to convert public funding into a shared, multi-stakeholder research infrastructure rather than funding a single university department in isolation.
Qubit Platforms — Superconducting vs Photonic vs Other Approaches
A qubit (quantum bit) is the basic unit of quantum information, capable of existing in superposition (unlike a classical bit's binary 0/1 state). Different physical platforms are used to realise qubits, each with distinct engineering trade-offs: superconducting qubits (fast gate operations, require extreme cryogenic cooling, currently used by leading global quantum computers), photonic qubits (operate at room temperature, well-suited for quantum communication, but historically harder to scale for computing), and other platforms include trapped-ion and spin qubits.
Key Details
- Superconducting qubits: require dilution refrigerators (near absolute zero); used by major global quantum computing efforts
- Photonic qubits: use particles of light, naturally suited to quantum communication and networking; can often operate without deep cryogenic cooling
- India's NQM explicitly targets multiple platforms (superconducting, photonic, spin qubits) rather than betting on a single approach
- Qubit count target under NQM: 50-1,000 physical qubits within the mission period
The IISc hub's stated role in fabricating and testing quantum devices across platforms reflects NQM's deliberate multi-platform strategy, since no single qubit technology has yet proven definitively superior for large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Strategic Rationale — Reducing Import Dependence in Frontier Technology
Quantum technology is classified as a frontier/dual-use strategic technology, alongside semiconductors, AI, and space technology, where import dependence carries both economic and national security implications (e.g., quantum computing's eventual capacity to break current public-key cryptography, and quantum communication's potential for theoretically unbreakable encryption). India's approach — indigenous fabrication hubs plus workforce development — parallels the strategic logic behind schemes like the India Semiconductor Mission.
Key Details
- Quantum computing has implications for cryptography: sufficiently powerful quantum computers could break RSA/ECC-based public-key encryption (motivating global research into "post-quantum cryptography")
- India's National Quantum Mission is administratively distinct from, but strategically parallel to, the India Semiconductor Mission — both aim to build indigenous fabrication capability in a frontier hardware domain
- DST is the nodal department for NQM, distinct from MeitY, which leads the India Semiconductor Mission
The explicit stated aim of the IISc hub — reducing foreign technology dependence — situates this initiative within India's broader strategic push for self-reliance ("Atmanirbhar Bharat") in critical and emerging technologies.
- National Quantum Mission Cabinet approval: 19 April 2023
- NQM outlay: ₹6,003.65 crore (2023-24 to 2030-31)
- Nodal department: Department of Science and Technology (DST)
- Number of Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs): 4 — at IISc Bengaluru, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras (with C-DOT), IIT Delhi (with PRL)
- IISc hub focus vertical: quantum computing (superconducting, photonic, and spin qubit platforms)
- Mission target: intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50–1,000 physical qubits within 8 years
- T-Hub legal structure: Section 8 not-for-profit company under the Companies Act, 2013