Quantum Computing: What It Is And Advances Made By India

Union ministers Anurag Thakur and Jitendra Singh announced today in a Cabinet briefing that the National Quantum Mission has received approval from the central government in an effort to encourage economic growth driven by quantum technology and elevate India to the forefront of this sector.

The mission, according to Union Minister Anurag Thakur, would continue from 2023-2024 to 2030-31 and cost a total of Rs 6,003.65 crore. He said this decision would propel India's technological advancements to unprecedented heights.

Mr Singh said that the decision to launch the National Quantum Mission is one of the most important steps taken by the government in the last nine years.

The minister said that India is the biggest user of information technology, and quantum technology is directly related to it. 

This quantum technology is essentially related to information processing. This technology is better than the existing infrastructure of classic computers, which are transistor-based, as it is based on atom-based technology, which is much faster than the present technology.

It makes information processing fast, authentic, precise, and secured. He also said that the National Quantum Mission will give India a quantum jump in the technology sector.

India will be the sixth country to have a dedicated quantum mission after the US, Austria, Finland, France, and China.

Let's have a look at what is quantum computing and the advances made by India:

What is quantum computing?

According to the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), quantum computing is an emerging field that applies some basic principles of quantum mechanics to process information at radical speeds. A quantum computer uses quantum bits, or qubits. A qubit is made up of electrons or photons. Their spin or polarisation represents the state of the quantum, respectively.

According to the Microsoft, the quantum in "quantum computing" refers to the quantum mechanics that the system uses to calculate outputs. In physics, a quantum is the smallest possible discrete unit of any physical property. It usually refers to the properties of atomic or subatomic particles, such as electrons, neutrinos, and photons.

Quantum computers harness the unique behaviour of quantum physics-such as superposition, entanglement, and quantum interference-and apply it to computing. This introduces new concepts to traditional programming methods.

Advances India is going to make in it:

The government will set up four thematic hubs (T-Hubs) in top academic and national research and development institutes on the domains of quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices.

The hubs will focus on the generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research and promote R&D in areas that are mandated for them.

Benefit to the country

Mr Singh said the mission can take the technology development ecosystem in the country to a globally competitive level.

The mission would greatly benefit communication, health, financial, and energy sectors, as well as drug design and space applications.

It will provide a huge boost to national priorities like Digital India, Make in India, Skill India, Stand-up India, Start-up India, Self-Reliant India, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Mr Singh said.