While academic research forms the foundation, the translation of these advancements into commercial ventures is crucial for real-world impact. India’s quantum startup scene is emerging, albeit facing unique challenges.
IBM’s Subramaniam elaborates on the significant foresight required from Indian enterprises. “Over the next three to five years, Indian enterprises will need to make focussed, phased investments to move from quantum awareness to meaningful exploration and deployment. This includes allocating resources toward building in-house quantum teams, funding pilot projects in collaboration with academic institutions or startups and investing in training programmes to upskill existing talent.” He emphasises that while early-stage returns may not be financial, realistic expectations should centre around strategic benefits such as developing internal expertise, gaining first-mover insights, shaping industry standards, and identifying domain-specific applications.
India’s path to quantum proficiency is not without its challenges, particularly in scaling, infrastructure, and talent. “Building a robust talent pipeline, establishing scalable quantum hardware, and ensuring interoperability between software and evolving hardware platforms are also critical,” says Subramaniam. He points out that “regulatory frameworks around quantum communication, cryptography, and data governance are still emerging, and market awareness and readiness remain limited beyond niche academic and corporate circles.” The NQM, he says, “is directly addressing these gaps by funding quantum labs, launching the undergraduate minor Programme (in collaboration with the AICTE) to build talent, and supporting ecosystem development through quantum technology hubs and startup engagement.”
Unfortunately, most current quantum machines are still at a nascent stage. This means the qubits are still very unstable and make frequent errors, which limits how reliably they can perform calculations. “Fixing these errors isn’t easy; it takes hundreds or even thousands of qubits just to create one reliable unit, making the system very complex,” says NQM’s Tripathi. He also identifies a critical infrastructure gap: currently, India doesn’t yet have widespread access to such advanced infrastructure, which makes it difficult to build and run large, powerful quantum computers.
“We need dedicated high-tech fabrication facilities that work for small volumes and high precision,” says Rapol. He stresses the need for “large, dedicated teams working on quantum algorithms and applications”. Rapol suggests that global procurement policies could be tweaked for the short term until the country builds up its capabilities.
“Currently lack of talent is the biggest challenge that we as a nation are facing,” says Tripathi, adding that there is an extreme shortage of quantum engineers. “We lack hands-on talent with practical experience in quantum hardware, cryogenics, and quantum algorithm development.”
In terms of market readiness, when it comes to quantum technology, many Indian enterprises see it as futuristic and not immediately relevant, which slows investment and pilot programmes. This, in turn leads to uncertainty on ROI for early adopters of this disruptive technology.
India stands at a pivotal juncture in the unfolding quantum revolution. With strong government backing through NQM, and its research institutions steadily building capabilities, the nation is geared for a significant leap.
“India is not just aiming to participate in the quantum future; it is gearing up to actively shape it,” sums up Tripathi. With strategic investment, a relentless focus on nurturing indigenous talent, and the cultivation of a truly collaborative ecosystem, India is poised to unlock a new dimension of innovation, scientific prowess, and socio-economic progress for decades to come. The quantum leap, while ambitious, is within India’s grasp.