Andhra Chief Minister Naidu Said the State is Working to Establish "Quantum Valley"

N. Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, stated on 10 March that the government is forming a task force and attempting to establish a "Quantum Valley" in the state in order to gain a competitive edge in this revolutionary field. The chief minister stated that he wants Andhra Pradesh to take the lead in quantum technology development, pointing out that it will bring about revolutionary breakthroughs in a number of fields. In keeping with the National Quantum Mission, Naidu wrote on X that the state government is forming a task force and developing a strategy to establish a world-class quantum computing powerhouse in Andhra Pradesh known as the "Quantum Valley."

Joining Hands with IIT Madras, TCS and IBM

In order to realise this goal of being a centre for computing, the Andhra state is working with IIT Madras, TCS, and IBM to become a national centre for quantum computing research, drawing in top talent and international investments. In order to achieve this goal, a crucial meeting was convened on 10 March, attended by IBM Quantum India head Venkat Subramaniam, L&T chairman and MD SN Subrahmanyan, Abhay Karandikar from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and others. The CM later stated that deep technology and quantum computing ought to arrive in the state during a book launch in Vijayawada. According to the chief minister, he met with a number of businesses and players, including TCS, L&T, IIT Madras, IBM, and the Government of India's DST, to discuss potential opportunities in these areas.

According to the TDP chief, quantum computing and deep technology are the way of the future. Among other things, he forced the stakeholders and representatives of the companies that met with him recently to sit down and discuss how to employ those technologies in Amaravati.

National Quantum Mission

The National Quantum Mission (NQM), which will cost INR 6003.65 crore and run from 2023–2024 to 2030–2031 and aims to seed, foster, and scale up scientific and industry R&D as well as establish a dynamic and inventive ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT), was authorised by the Union Cabinet on April 19, 2023. This would foster the nation's ecosystem, boost QT-led economic growth, and position India as a pioneer in the development of quantum technologies and applications (QTA). Developing intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50–1000 physical qubits in 8 years using a variety of platforms, such as superconducting and photonic technologies, is one of the mission's goals. Long-distance secure quantum communications with other nations, intercity quantum key distribution over 2000 km, multi-node secure quantum communications, and satellite-based secure quantum communications between ground stations within India. Among the mission's deliverables are quantum networks with quantum memories.

The development of very sensitive magnetometers in atomic systems and atomic clocks for accurate time, communications, and navigation will be the main goals of the National Quantum Mission. For the creation of quantum devices, it will also aid in the design and synthesis of quantum materials, including superconductors, innovative semiconductor architectures, and topological materials. Quantum communications, sensing, and metrological applications will also see the development of single-photon sources/detectors and entangled photon sources.