19 April: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the National Quantum Mission (NQM) to foster and scale up scientific and industrial R&D in quantum technology. The mission will cost Rs 6,003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31.
The NQM will accelerate the growth of quantum technology-led economy and nurture the ecosystem in the country.
“NQM is going to give India a quantum jump in this arena,” Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said at a press conference here.
India will join the league of six countries that have a dedicated quantum mission after the US, Austria, Finland, France and China.
“The new mission aims to develop intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in eight years using various platforms such as superconducting and photonic technology,” he said.
He said secure quantum communications between ground stations over a distance of 2000 km within India, long distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km and multi-node quantum network with quantum memories are some of the outcomes of the mission.
Singh said the mission will also support the development of high sensitivity magnetometers in atomic systems and atomic clocks for precision timing, communications and navigation.
It will also help design and synthesize quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for making quantum devices, Singh said.
He said single photon sources/detectors, entangled photon sources will also be created for quantum communications, sensing and metrological applications.