Quantum Mission: How Institutions And Corporate Players In India Are Going Beyond The Binary

Not even a few years ago, quantum computing was still touted as a ‘thing of the future’, promising exciting advances in technology and science like never before. Today, the world has already moved beyond traditional computers and even supercomputers, and is slowly adopting quantum technologies in sectors ranging from data security and fintech to banking and defence. 

“Right now, many people think [quantum computing] is not for me, it’s for the future. That may not be true after one or two years,” Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government, told ABP Live, as he added that within the next three years, quantum computing and its effects will start showing its impact across sectors. 

The recent approval of the National Quantum Mission (NQM) by the Union Cabinet at a total cost of Rs 6,003.5 crore not only intends to help the country’s researchers start working on quantum developments, but is also designed to provide a much-needed impetus to the country’s already notable strides in the sector. 

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India's Quantum Mission

In simple terms, quantum computers are specifically designed to tackle highly complex problems that even supercomputers struggle to solve. If you encounter a problem with numerous variables and significant complexity, such as predicting the countless ways a protein can fold, a quantum computer is an ideal choice.

Classical computers rely on binary — represented by 1s and 0s — to process data. They can only switch between these two states. However, quantum computing introduces multidimensional spaces that allow us to visualise how patterns connecting individual data points take shape. When utilising a quantum computer, you are not limited to dealing solely with 1s and 0s. Instead, you can employ quantum algorithms to uncover breakthrough patterns and solutions.

In contrast to classical computers that employ bits for problem-solving, quantum processors utilize qubits to execute multidimensional quantum algorithms.

"If used right, quantum technology can actually be a game changer for Indian science and the citizens of the country. These technologies have the capability of revolutionising diverse sectors that include for instance but are not limited to data security, banking, defence strategic sectors, health, and energy, among others,” said Professor Urbasi Sinha, who heads the Quantum Information and Computing (QuIC) laboratory at Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru. “In fact, we would look at quantum security integrated into our cell phones going forward for instance,” she said.

“India lies at the cusp of being both a developing and a developed country,” said Nikhil Malhotra, Global Head, Makers Lab, Tech Mahindra. “The ‘quantum advantage’ is likely to be realised in the next few years, wherein real-world problems of consequence can be solved efficiently using a quantum computer that even the most giant supercomputer cannot achieve.” 

And the National Quantum Mission is here to help. The newly unveiled programme has set forth a mission to create intermediate-scale quantum computers within an eight-year timeframe, encompassing 50-1,000 physical qubits. To accomplish this objective, the project will leverage various platforms like superconducting and photonic technologies.

Furthermore, the initiative aims to achieve multiple milestones, including the implementation of secure quantum communication via satellites over a distance of 2,000 kilometres within India. It also aims to enable secure quantum communication with other countries over long distances, establish inter-city quantum key distribution spanning 2,000 kilometres, and establish a quantum network comprising multiple nodes with quantum-scale memories.

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India's Quantum Players

Back In January 2022, during the Indian Science Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touted quantum computing as the country’s next major focus point. “India is moving fast in the direction of quantum computers, chemistry, communication, sensors, cryptography, and new materials,” he said during his address.

Earlier this year, in January, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that quantum computing “will be at the core of the growth and expansion in India’s techade”. He said India is collaborating with partners and players from across the globe to build “an ecosystem of innovation, along with startups, R&D laboratories, and higher education institutions".

India’s many research institutes have for years been working on quantum technologies and studying how to develop their benefits across sectors. 

The QuIC, for example, is heavily focused on photonic quantum science and technologies. For those unaware, the photonics branch of optics deals with the application of generation, detection, and manipulation of light in the form of photons. 

“We’re working on secure quantum communications, quantum computing, as well as quantum sensing,” Sinha said. 

The professor added that QuIC is currently working on the country’s first project on satellite-based secure quantum communications, dubbed ‘Quantum Experiments Using Satellite Technology’. “We’ve achieved several ground-based milestones, many national and international firsts,” said Sinha. “We hope to demonstrate capacity in the space segment in the next few years.”

Sinha added: “We are also working on a higher dimensional qudit (unit of quantum information) based approach to quantum computing and quantum information as well as several novel studies in QIP, including static and dynamic properties of entanglement, weak measurements as well as foundations of quantum mechanics. We hope to demonstrate a new form of device-independent quantum random number generation in the near future."

Apart from institutional players, corporate entities like Tech Mahindra have also taken to quantum technology research with gusto. “While quantum has many subfields, at Tech Mahindra, our focus in quantum computing has been on quantum machine learning and quantum security applications,” said Makers Lab’s Malhotra. 

Makers Lab is the R&D division of Tech Mahindra and some of its current projects include molecule generation use cases for pharma, testing post-quantum cryptographic key, and optimisation mechanisms to detect frauds in the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector, among others.

“Recently, we have partnered with IQM Quantum Computers to set new standards in the research and development of commercially viable use cases of quantum computing across industries,” Malhotra said. “For this, we have signed an MoU for research in quantum computing. As part of the partnership, the organisations will jointly develop new quantum computing offerings for various industries, including healthcare, cybersecurity, and banking. They will further co-develop and market quantum technology use cases in India and Finland.” 

India's Quantum Impact

As per Professor Sood, from fintech to the health sector, several sectors (or rather, the data being stored by them) can reap the benefits of quantum technology within a few years. One of the primary benefits that the technology will lend is the advanced data security it promises via quantum cryptography. 

For starters, bad actors will need to have access to powerful quantum computers to even begin to try and break suck keys. Sood added that even if someone tries to eavesdrop, the property of entanglement will see to it that the encryption changes, in turn making keys nearly hack-proof. 

Sood added that global standards of weight and time will soon be calibrated with respect to quantum standards. This will make measurements “more accurate” and this is why India is focusing heavily on quantum technology to be at par with global standards.

“Most of our transactions nowadays are online,” said Sood. “And the general assumption is that whatever we’re doing is safe.” Quantum technology will lead to better encryption technology that will take classical computers “several years” to solve.  

As per Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Kumar Sood, India currently has over 50-60 laboratories working on quantum research. “Several startups in the county are also doing good work,” he said. “India is very much in the [global quantum] race.”

But what about the pitfalls and environmental impact of quantum computer operations?

Sood assured that while there will be some basic environmental cost in creating quantum computers, since components will need to be created in foundries as per usual, the power consumption while operating quantum computers will be “almost on a similar level” to classical computers. “My sense is that the gain is much, much more than the small investments made in making these devices,” he said. 

According to Malhotra, the pitfalls are similar for any new-age technology like AI. "Unless the technology is not used on a large scale, it continues to brew and has the potential for a de-growth. The risk is not putting in too much but keeping on tinkering at it within labs, which we do,” he said. “For this reason, Tech Mahindra has categorised quantum as a group-2 technology, which eventually translates to a technology that would change the horizon but has yet to be baked.”

However, “over-promising” could be a major hurdle in the country, cautioned QuIC’s Sinha. “The quantum computing sector is very useful and does hold a lot of promise. But we need to remember that there are certain things one can do and certain things one cannot with the currently available machines. If we promise more than what we can deliver, we run the risk of backlash in a few years and perhaps less funding for future generations and also for the current generation in few years,” she said.

Finally, how will the National Quantum Mission help? 

As per Sinha, the NQM will provide a means to work on problems that require many skill sets and expertise to come together. "The mission mode will hopefully ensure funds, resources and support. This will help us achieve goals that are larger than what is possible with individual-centric efforts,” she said.

“From weather patterns to sensing earthquakes to defence, quantum has a huge potential in India. The NQM announcement bolsters this now with a defined structure and way of utilising funds for research,” said Malhotra.

“Quantum [research] has been around in the country for years, but in pockets,” said Sood, adding that NQM will help finesse the effort “in an organised manner”. 

“A lot needs to be done. We have to be on the job and be at it to accomplish them,” Sood concluded.