Govt to fund 100 engineering colleges for Quantum Research labs

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), declared on Monday that the government plans to grant Rs 1 crore to 100 engineering colleges for establishing laboratories aimed at teaching undergraduate minor programs.

Speaking at an event held at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, he said DST also proposes to set up a technical group for quantum algorithms so as to support start-ups and research and technology development.

We intend to set up teaching labs in 100 engineering colleges and institutions to conduct undergraduate minor programs. As a matter of fact, we have already got over 500 proposals for this, out of which we will select around 100, says Karandikar.

He said, "DST is proud to see strong progress under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems and the National Quantum Mission, where IIT Bombay continues to play a key leadership role."

According to him, the IIT Bombay Technology Innovation Hub has achieved a lot through helping entrepreneurs, creating new technologies, and most recently starting work on huge language models in the Indian language.

All four hubs of the National Quantum Mission at IISc Bengaluru, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, and IIT Bombay have achieved tremendous progress over recent months. The quantum sensing hub at IIT Bombay is particularly notable for its work, he further added.

During his visit to IIT Bombay on Monday, the Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, announced the establishment of two major, state-of-the-art Quantum Fabrication and Central Facilities under the National Quantum Mission of India (NQM).

These two central fabrication main facilities to be established at IIT Bombay and IISc Bengaluru with an investment of Rs 720 crore will fast-track the development of quantum sensors and computing processors in the country by indigenizing their manufacturing.

He added that two more small-scale facilities would be established at IIT Kanpur and Delhi.

According to the minister, these facilities will help accelerate the fabrication process and support technology development, prototyping, and small-scale production, especially in startups and MSMEs. They would be available to academia, science and technology institutions, industry, start-ups, MSMEs, and strategic sectors nationwide. 
India's strengths in cryogenic engineering, superconductivity, quantum computing, quantum sensing, photonics, healthcare technology, and green energy gadgets will be greatly enhanced, according to Singh.
He pointed out that cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), sophisticated materials characterisation, and MRI devices all depend on liquid helium.

“The new facility, now dedicated to the nation and open for use by industries, universities, and research institutes, is equipped with an efficient helium recovery system that is expected to reduce the cost of cryogenic experiments to nearly one-tenth of current expenses while conserving one of the world’s rarest resources,” Singh stated. 
The minister stated that as worldwide demand for quantum computers develops, India must simultaneously strengthen its cryogenics infrastructure.
Both the Quantum Lab achievements and the new cryogenics facility highlight India’s fast-expanding leadership in next-generation science and technology, he argued. 

The success of IIT Bombay, he continued, shows how government, business, and academia can work together to create a top-notch scientific ecosystem that can influence future developments.