NEW DELHI, October 19 — The Department of Science and Technology (DST) issued comprehensive operational frameworks and sanctioned initial capital allocations on Monday for establishing four premier Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) under the ₹6,003 Crore National Quantum Mission (NQM).
Headquartered at leading technical research institutes, the four consortia will advance specialized quantum verticals: Quantum Computing at IISc Bengaluru, Quantum Communication at IIT Madras, Quantum Sensing & Metrology at IIT Bombay, and Quantum Materials & Devices at IIT Delhi. The mission roadmap targets developing intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50 to 1,000 physical qubits utilizing superconducting circuits and trapped-ion platforms over the next eight years.
DST underscored that the mission also mandates establishing inter-city ground-station quantum communication links spanning over 2,000 kilometres alongside satellite-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), insulating India’s banking servers, military command links, and sovereign data repositories against quantum computing decryption threats.
Key physics concepts governing quantum computing (quantum superposition, entanglement, decoherence, and qubits), statutory structures under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF Act 2023), and the strategic role of quantum cryptography in cyber security represent staple topics in UPSC GS-III Science and Technology.