India needs to establish a self-reliant quantum ecosystem within the next decade if it wants to avoid the risk of falling behind, and being a mere consumer of foreign technology, according to Arindam Ghosh, professor of physical sciences at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
In an exclusive chat with AIM, Ghosh warned against the traditional Indian approach of importing and assembling components, while emphasising the need to execute a strategic homegrown approach towards developing quantum systems. He sees this as not just a matter of technological progress but that of national security and economic sovereignty as well.
“What worries me,” explains Ghosh, is that Indian quantum systems could be “assembled from imported components,” while yearning for a “truly self-reliant quantum future”.
An industry analyst from Bengaluru who works on semiconductor solutions, but did not wish to be named, echoed this concern. According to him, even when some visible components, like the outer shell, are made domestically, critical subsystems are almost always imported, often from countries like the Netherlands or Finland. This dependency, he said, makes it unlikely for India to become a global player without a coordinated policy push.
Ghosh said the policy push must involve a “holistic” approach to develop supporting components, such as semiconductors, fans and hard drives, as well along with the core hardware. A multifaceted approach will ensure India has the infrastructure and expertise to maintain and evolve quantum systems independently.
N S Boseraju, Karnataka’s minister for science and technology, told AIM in an exclusive interview that the state government has provided a grant of ₹48 crores to IISc to support the development of quantum technology.
The state already has 80 to 90 entrepreneurs working on quantum computing, he said, adding that the government is preparing a platform to support these companies with infrastructure like land, water, and power. Boseraju added that the government intends to provide “prime land” in Bengaluru for a quantum chip foundry, which would be part of a larger plan to establish the “quantum city of Bengaluru”.
Security Stakes Are High
Quantum computing has the power to break existing encryption, which could leave critical infrastructure vulnerable, amplifying the urgency to develop sovereign quantum capability given its national security implications.
“Tomorrow, if someone has a 10,000-qubit computer, they will first hack our national security,” said Ghosh.
Ajai Chowdhry, chairman of the National Quantum Mission (NQM), told AIM, that adversaries can “harvest today and use later,” implying collecting data now to decrypt it once powerful quantum computers are available.
He said that acting on this front, the government has created a task force to formulate a policy for making India “quantum secure” within the next three months. This task force will advise critical institutions, such as the Reserve Bank of India, power grids, and telecom operators on how to protect themselves.
Sanjeev Gupta, CEO of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), told AIM that quantum technology is converging with many other domains. Looking at cybersecurity, communications, space, defence, and healthcare, he posed the question if the country’s digital economy is ready for ‘Q-day’? According to him, a Q-day or a quantum day would be when “a quantum hacker attacks you.”
Market Gaps or Manufacturing?
Talking about the commercial aspects of quantum computers, the analyst said that without a domestic market beyond the government, investors would see little incentive in the sector.
A lack of broad commercial demand, he argued, could leave India overly reliant on public-sector procurement and vulnerable to being outpaced by countries where corporate giants, from Microsoft to Google, are driving large-scale quantum projects with multi-billion-dollar budgets.
Professor Ghosh re-emphasised domestic development of related products and components to match global standards so as to facilitate an exchange of quantum tech between India and other industry leaders.
Incentivising for a Homegrown Ecosystem
India’s quantum journey is underway, with a 6-qubit system at TIFR, a 7-qubit system at IISc, and a 25-qubit machine at QpiAI. But Chowdhry admitted this is “not good enough,” and the goal is a 1000-qubit computer. Ghosh said India could also compete in quantum sensing and materials if it invests strategically.
The analyst cautioned that the path to parity with global leaders is lengthy and resource-intensive. The United States’ quantum story spans over 15 years, beginning with early companies like D-Wave, and backed by billions in funding from tech giants.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re building in the US or India, the hardware, the chip, the programming, everything costs the same,” he said. Current funding levels in India, he added, are “peanuts” compared to what’s needed.
Avoiding the Tech Gap
Beyond money, talent is a bottleneck. “We possibly need 100x more PhDs,” the analyst said, adding, it is difficult to get good talent in India. “Most of our best brains go to the US.”
He argued for bold government intervention akin to China and Korea’s industrial policies. There needs to be some amount of liquidity to incentivise people to do something they otherwise wouldn’t, he said.
Eric Holland, general manager of Keysight Technologies’ quantum engineering solutions, told AIM that while building an entirely homegrown quantum computer is “possible, yes… sustainable, unclear.”
He noted: “I don’t think that it’s possible for one country to own the full supply chain, it’s so diverse and so across the spectrum.” Instead, he advocates leveraging global strengths and partnerships, pointing out that “it’s to your benefit to leverage other areas that are driving profitability rather than saying, hey, we have to start from scratch.”
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