At the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, work to build India’s first quantum computer is nearing completion. When ready, this small-scale quantum computer will be a significant milestone for TIFR’s Quantum Measurement and Control (QuMaC) lab, established 12 years ago to address fundamental challenges in building quantum systems. Dr R. Vijayaraghavan, who heads QuMaC, sees the project as a crucial first step for India that will “allow us to get into this game”. The project they are working on, in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), involves designing key components, such as the quantum processing unit, electronics and software—each of which presents multiple levels of complexity.
working on a dilution refrigerator used to cool superconducting qubits; (Photo: Mandar Deodhar)
A quantum bit or qubit is the basic unit of a quantum computing system. Think of it as the equivalent of bits, building blocks of the conventional computers. But while a bit exists in binaries (of either 0 or 1), a qubit can hold both values at the same time. This ability to be in multiple states simultaneously is known as superposition, which means a quantum computer can theoretically tackle far more complex calculations than even the most powerful supercomputer today. For example, it could easily break all the secure algorithmic codes that we rely on today for banking transactions, military communication etc. Or take the case of drug discovery, where there’s a need to simulate molecules in various states, or supply-chain logistics, where the goal is to arrive at the most optimal procedure—quantum computers could offer a disruptive advantage in carrying out all such functions. That’s the reason quantum computing, along with Artificial Intelligence (AI), features on the list of ‘critical’ technologies on the national agendas of most countries. Globally, funding announcements into quantum technologies by various governments over the years touched $42 billion (Rs 3.5 lakh crore, at the current exchange rate) in 2023, according to McKinsey’s Quantum Technology Monitor published in April this year. India, too, announced a National Quantum Mission in April 2023, for which Rs 6,000 crore has been earmarked up to 2030-31. “Quantum technology is the new technology frontier, reached after decades of fundamental research,” said Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, principal scientific advisor to the Government of India, in a release issued on April 14, celebrated as World Quantum Day.
The First Step
For QuMaC and their collaborators, the small-scale quantum computer is a technology demonstration. Whatever equations it can solve can be “perfectly mimicked” by a laptop, says Vijayaraghavan. “But if we have to build a 100-qubit system, we have to start somewhere. So, this gives us all the necessary expertise in understanding the different parts of a quantum computer and where the challenges are.” He points to how IBM, about eight years ago, launched its first 5-qubit quantum computer on the cloud. “For us,” he adds, “it’s the first step.” As part of the National Quantum Mission, Vijayaraghavan leads a team of eight scientists from across five institutes which is putting together a proposal to build a 24-qubit computer in three years and a 100-qubit computer in five years. Likewise, there are other teams of specialists working on different proposals—these include various technological approaches to building quantum systems using photons, neutral atoms or trapped ions as qubits.
However, scientific challenges abound because qubits are also unstable and vulnerable to the slightest disturbance. Globally, the challenge before researchers is to find ways around this ‘decoherence’ via error-corrected qubits. “You have to show that by using such a system, you are actually solving some problem which is of relevance to industry or science or society and show that it is better, faster and cheaper,” says Vijayaraghavan. “That of course will be the first holy grail of useful quantum computers. We are not there yet.”
There are others wanting a piece of the action. On the first floor of a business park tower in Nagavara, Bengaluru, Dr Nagendra Nagaraja, CEO and chairman of a startup called QpiAI, has earmarked a corner of his office space for a lab in which an imported dilution refrigerator is due to be installed by September. Having raised $6 million (Rs 50 crore) in funding, Nagaraja is building a 25-qubit quantum computer that he plans to unveil by the end of this year, for which the cryogenic refrigerator is a key component. Once the machine is ready, QpiAI plans to offer the platform to customers via cloud while also exploring a business model of supplying such systems to top institutes and research groups in India. “Our vision is to integrate AI and quantum computing in enterprises,” he says, adding that there is an opportunity for Indian companies to be competitive on the world stage. “The more companies you have in advanced technology, the wealthier a nation. It’s as simple as that.”
In quantum technologies, especially, there’s a real opportunity, given that it is still a nascent field globally. This is also where India’s Rs 6,000 crore mission assumes significance. The outlay is big, when seen in the historical context of R&D funding in India. But the quantum technology field itself is vast, which means that the funds cannot be spread too thin.
The AI and semiconductor Challenge
Meanwhile, the Union cabinet in March this year approved a Rs 10,372 crore mission to strengthen the AI ecosystem in the country. The modalities of the IndiaAI Mission are expected to be announced in a few months. Its objectives include democratising access to computing resources, enhancing data quality, nurturing homegrown AI expertise and promoting socially impactful AI projects. In July, speaking at the Global IndiaAI Summit 2024, Union minister of electronics & information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the government plans to acquire 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) as part of the AI mission. “Here, the government will be investing in creating a public platform where compute power, high quality data sets, a common set of protocols, a common framework, technical as well as legal, is available,” said Vaishnaw, adding that startups and academicians working on applications for a variety of sectors such as agriculture, medicine, healthcare and education can use this common platform to accelerate their efforts.
In semiconductor manufacturing, India was late to the game even though the country is home to 20-25 per cent of the world’s computer chip designers. In a bid to kickstart a manufacturing ecosystem of semiconductors and LCD displays and “de-risk” the country from its dependence on imports, the government, in 2022, had announced a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme with an outlay of Rs 76,000 crore. In February this year, Tata Electronics announced that it had received government approval to build a mega semiconductor fabrication facility, or fab, in Dholera, Gujarat, in partnership with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC). The fab, into which a total investment of Rs 91,000 crore has been announced, will have a manufacturing capacity of up to 50,000 wafers per month and will generate over 20,000 direct and indirect skilled jobs.
The size of the Indian semiconductor market is expected to reach $109 billion (Rs 9.15 lakh crore) by 2030 from $38 billion (Rs 3.2 lakh crore) in 2023, minister of state for electronics & information technology Jitin Prasada told the Lok Sabha on July 31. The global semiconductor industry is expected to grow to $1 trillion (Rs 83.95 lakh crore) by 2030.
Unlike computer chip manufacturing, there are hardly any commercial fabrication facilities for quantum processors globally, which means it’s an opportune time for India to start planning for investments on that front. The four industries likely to see the earliest economic impact from quantum computing would be chemicals, life sciences, finance and mobility, according to the McKinsey report. To illustrate the need for higher investments in emerging technologies, Nagendra Nagaraja of QpiAI picks out two key trends globally: “One is the transition to sustainable energy. And the other is in manufacturing, where the cost of goods has to come down dramatically.” According to him, both quantum technologies and AI play a role here by driving innovation. “Material is central to everything,” he says. “If we have 300 error-corrected qubits, then I think material science is all disrupted.” There’s surely a long way to go. But the seeds have to be sown now.
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