Centre to invest ₹820 crore on quantum labs, one launched at IIT Bombay

This information was shared by Abhay Karandikar, secretary of the department of science and technology (DST), during the launch ceremony of a quantum research laboratory to be set up at IIT Bombay

MUMBAI: The Union government will invest ₹100 crore to set up 100 quantum teaching labs in educational institutions across the country. This information was shared by Abhay Karandikar, secretary of the department of science and technology (DST), during the launch ceremony of a quantum research laboratory to be set up at IIT Bombay. Jitendra Singh, union minister for science and technology, was present on the occasion.

Jitendra Singh (in blue suit), Union minister for science and technology, inaugurated the lab in the presence of IIT Bombay director Shireesh Kedare (in light blue jacket).

Karandikar said the teaching labs would help train students in emerging quantum technologies under the National Quantum Mission (NQM). “The government invited applications for the initiative and received more than 500 proposals,” he said. “We are now finalising a list of 100 institutions. The secretary added that DST had also started training programmes in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education.

Singh unveiled plans for four advanced Quantum Fabrication and Central Facilities, of which the lab launched at IIT Bombay on Monday is a part. These facilities, collectively worth ₹720 crore, will also be established at IISc Bengaluru, IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi. Singh said the creation of such infrastructure was a decisive step toward technological independence and placed India among the global leaders developing next-generation quantum systems.

Explaining the significance of the new facilities, Singh said they would support fabrication and characterisation in several areas, including quantum sensing, quantum computing and quantum materials. “These capabilities will form the hardware backbone needed to build sovereign, secure and scalable quantum technologies in India,” he said. The minister added that the facilities would be accessible not only to researchers under the NQM but also to academic institutions, start-ups, industry partners and strategic sectors.

As part of the national network, IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur will take the lead in establishing quantum sensing and metrology infrastructure. IISc Bengaluru and IIT Bombay will focus on quantum computing fabrication, using superconducting, photonic and spin qubits while IIT Delhi will serve as the hub for quantum materials and device development. According to the DST, these collaborative efforts will strengthen India’s capability to design and build indigenous quantum devices and train the next generation of specialists in quantum hardware.

During the ceremony, Singh also inaugurated IIT Bombay’s new Liquid Helium Laboratory, which will provide the ultra-low temperatures required for quantum experiments. The facility will be open to industry as well, supporting collaborative research, and may find future applications in medical technology.

Oh Bombay

In his speech, minister Jitendra Singh, referring to IIT Bombay as one of India’s oldest and most respected science and technology institutions, said, “Thank God the institute has retained the name IIT Bombay and not changed it to Mumbai. Just like IIT Madras.”