NEW DELHI, India — India has set an ambitious target to develop quantum computers with up to 1,000 qubits and establish a 2,000-kilometre quantum communication network under its National Quantum Mission, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.
Speaking at the foundation ceremony of the Amaravati Quantum Valley in Andhra Pradesh, the minister said India is now among a select group of countries with a dedicated national quantum programme aimed at transforming defence, cybersecurity and healthcare.
The National Quantum Mission has been allocated about Rs 6,000 crore and spans 43 institutions across 17 states and two Union Territories. The programme is organised through four thematic hubs focused on quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices.
“The national objectives include developing quantum computers with up to 1,000 physical qubits within eight years, establishing secure ground-to-ground quantum communication networks, enabling long-distance quantum communication, and achieving inter-city Quantum Key Distribution across 2,000 kilometres,” Singh said.
Describing quantum technology as a strategic imperative, the minister said India must lead in the domain to safeguard its communications infrastructure, defence systems, healthcare innovation and long-term global technological standing. He said quantum capabilities are no longer optional but essential for national security and competitiveness.
The foundation ceremony was attended by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, State Minister for IT, Electronics and Education Nara Lokesh, Principal Scientific Adviser to the government Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, and other senior officials.
Recalling his earlier interactions with Naidu during the development of Hyderabad’s Hi-Tech City, Singh said the pace of progress in Andhra Pradesh over the past year reflects cooperative federalism and what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described as the “double-engine” approach, with coordination between the Centre and the state.
Referring to a recent visit to Visakhapatnam, the minister cited the completion of the long-pending National Centre for Ocean Sciences project, which was conceived in 2006 and remained stalled for nearly two decades before being completed within months of the current state government taking office.
Officials said the National Quantum Mission is expected to position India as a key player in next-generation technologies while supporting secure communications, advanced computing and innovation across critical sectors. (Source: IANS)
