Across India, a quiet revolution is taking shape in laboratories where light, matter, and information intertwine at the quantum scale. Lasers stabilize to single frequencies, atoms are trapped and cooled to near absolute zero, and circuits operate at cryogenic temperatures-all pointing to one goal: transforming abstract quantum principles into tangible technologies. India’s quantum story is now told not through ambition alone but through functioning hardware and demonstrable capability. The journey is disciplined and deliberate-developing reliable devices and subsystems, integrating them into platforms, and advancing from scientific demonstrations to standards-ready technology stacks.
The Department of Science & Technology (DST) under Ministry Of Science And Technology is steering this transformation by positioning quantum science and technology as a national capability. Through the National Quantum Mission (NQM)-approved by the Union Cabinet-DST aims to seed, nurture, and scale up India’s quantum ecosystem. The mission envisions India among the leading nations in quantum technologies and applications by developing intermediate-scale quantum computers, secure satellite-based and inter-city quantum communication networks, advanced quantum sensors, and novel quantum materials and devices.
At the heart of this strategy are four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) established at leading institutions: Quantum Computing at IISc Bengaluru, Quantum Communication at IIT Madras (in collaboration with C-DOT), Quantum Sensing & Metrology at IIT Bombay, and Quantum Materials & Devices at IIT Delhi. These hubs unite 43 institutions and 152 researchers, bridging academia, national laboratories, industry, and startups to translate scientific breakthroughs into deployable technologies. Together, they form the backbone of India’s coordinated national quantum framework.
To accelerate the lab-to-market transition, the mission emphasizes test-bed-driven translation-open, interoperable facilities where academia, startups, and industry can validate technologies under real-world conditions. This design de-risks adoption, promotes shared infrastructure, and ensures interoperability across devices, communications, and computation.
“DST’s quantum agenda is focused on hardware, interoperable stacks and open test-beds-so that Indian labs and industry co-create systems that scale from prototypes to commercial products,” said Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, DST.
ESTIC’s “discovery-to-delivery” framing has further standardized how such capabilities are organized-naming owners, facilities and timelines per theme so progress is measurable and replicable. This is embedded in the conclave’s operating model of translation notes and shared facilities to accelerate pilots.
At ESTIC-2025, Quantum Science & Technology is scoped to deliver outcome notes that: (i) specify priority use-cases across devices, communications and computation; (ii) assign owners and facilities (national labs, test-beds, university cleanrooms, deep-tech incubators); (iii) align standards, interfaces and validation protocols so stacks are interoperable; and (iv) fix time-bound milestones from prototype to field trials. The conclave’s structure-plenary direction, thematic depth and an innovation floor-ensures that test-bed access, measurement protocols and procurement-ready specifications move in lockstep.
The NQM is also catalyzing a quantum startup ecosystem. Through dedicated guidelines, funding, and mentorship, eight startups have already been onboarded, with a rolling call to support more across all four quantum verticals. These ventures are building indigenous quantum devices, algorithms, and cybersecurity solutions-supported by access to T-Hub infrastructure and deep-tech incubators.
In parallel, human resource development has been institutionalized through academic programs such as a B.Tech Minor and M.Tech in Quantum Technologies, Faculty Development Programmes (training nearly 2,000 faculty members), and new calls for undergraduate teaching laboratories.
The broader Viksit Bharat 2047 alignment is explicit in ESTIC’s theme: a premier national platform that fosters strategic dialogue and synergy. For Quantum, that means moving beyond isolated lab successes to interoperable, standards-aware stacks that Indian companies can manufacture, service and export-backed by clear validation pathways and access to public test-beds.
Finally, the outcome test remains unchanged: success will be judged by outcomes, not optics-shared priorities per theme, pilots that advance to deployment with timelines, and collaboration compacts that persist beyond the conclave. Quantum’s translation arc – device – module- stack- pilot-fits precisely into this discipline, ensuring that advances in qubits, photons and cryo-electronics arrive as dependable, standards-ready public-facing solutions.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
