The National Quantum Mission, with a budget of Rs 6,003 crore for eight years, was approved by the Centre on Wednesday.
Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh stated of the choice: "The decision is going to give India a quantum jump in the field."
India will investigate quantum technologies on par with six other nations. The majority of nations are still in the development stage. India will be the newest member of the exclusive club; the US, China, France, Austria, and Finland are still in the R&D stage and have not yet moved on to the implementation stage of the technology.
The study of and application of the concepts of quantum mechanics to the creation of new technologies is known as quantum technology. The area of physics known as quantum mechanics studies the behavior of matter and energy at tiny scales, where the traditional principles of physics do not hold true.
Quantum technology encompasses a wide range of technologies, including quantum sensing, quantum computing, and quantum cryptography.
Quantum computers will operate on atoms, as opposed to classical computers, which are transistor-based. Quantum computers conduct calculations using quantum bits (qubits) as opposed to conventional bits. Quantum computing has the advantage of being able to address issues more accurately and quickly.
When it comes to encryption, quantum technology offers exceptional security, making quantum communication unhackable. One of the safest methods for transferring data between two locations is quantum communication, which uses sophisticated quantum cryptography and high levels of code that are impenetrable to outsiders. In quantum communication, if a hacker tries to decipher the message, it changes its form in a way that alerts the sender and results in the message being changed or erased.
Quantum sensing, on the other hand, makes advantage of quantum physics to create new kinds of sensors with unheard-of sensitivity and precision. These sensors are more accurate than conventional ones at measuring physical properties like temperature, magnetic fields, and gravitational waves. This technique is widely used in astronomy, astrophysics, and in trying to figure out the mysteries of the cosmos.
The National Quantum Mission is what?
Four thematic centers will be developed in various universities around the nation as part of the National Quantum Mission, according to the center, to promote research and development in the area. The Department of Science & Technology will oversee the endeavor with the help of a mission director.
The Centre will establish a mission secretariat with a governing board to direct the activity, led by experts in the quantum sector. The governing board will get scientific advice from the Mission Technology Research Council.
In the next three years, the center will work on creating 20–50 qubit quantum computers and quantum communication across a distance of 2000 km, according to the center's eight-year mission framework.
"As technology advances, so do knowledge and application development. The utility is being realized in the fields of pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and security, the minister continued.
When researchers from the Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre and Physical Research Laboratory successfully conducted quantum entanglement using real-time Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) demonstrated satellite-based quantum communication in 2022.
"This will make India a front-line country in terms of information and technology. This will be useful not only in the physical and engineering sectors but also in the healthcare industry and other fields, said Dr. Singha.
