DST Secretary: Industry Participation is Very Important in Quantum Technology & Science in India

Department of Science and Technology (DST) Secretary Professor Ashutosh Sharma highlighted the importance of bringing Industry on board in Quantum Technology and Science in India at the India Quantum Technology Conclave (IQTC2020), a webinar on Quest towards India’s “Quantum Supremacy” organized by The Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) recently.

“The future is all about quantum and Industry 4.0, which involves convergence of cyber and digital spheres encompassing communication, computing, decision making and acting on it, needs to participate in it,” he pointed out.

Further elaborating on DST’s initiatives in the field of Quantum Technology, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma said, “Three years ago DST started a new division called ‘Frontier Technology’ which has rolled out a mission on Cyber-Physical Systems. This mission has set up about 21 hubs and 4 research parks across India, which are going to form the base for the architecture and processes of Quantum Technology Mission and will empower the Industry.”

“These 21 hubs are holistic entities, starting from basic R&D in each hub, human resource generation, and training at different levels to translation of the knowledge with incubators attached with every hub. Thus this model completes the whole knowledge chain from knowledge generation to knowledge to consumption,” he added.

“For Quantum Technology (QT), a more ambitious mission called National Mission on Quantum Technology worth Rs 8,000 Crore has been launched by the Government if India. DST has mapped all the people and groups in India working in the field of QT and brought them on-board to write a Detailed Project Report,” Professor Sharma mentioned.

“Both these missions of DST are self-sufficient in terms of generating knowledge, translation of knowledge in terms of prototype design, and this ecosystem is part of  ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in terms of science, technology, and innovation in India,” he added.

The conclave focused on preparedness on ‘Quantum computing and Technology adaptation in India’ where the attendees discussed the future strategies & roadmap in the development of quantum technologies in India.

Dignitaries like Shri Deepak Sood, Secretary-General, ASSOCHAM,  Dr. Shesha Shayee Raghunathan, Senior IBM Quantum Ambassador, Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India, Asst. Prof. Manas Mukherjee, Principal Investigator, Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore Dr Lovneesh Chanana, Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council on IT/ITes & e-Commerce, Shri Aditya Chaudhuri, MD, Accenture, Dr Hemant Darbari, Director General, CDAC, Dr. Philip Makotyn, Quantum Marketing Manager, Honeywell Quantum Solutions, USA were among the key participants of the conclave which saw the presence of eminent personalities from the public sector as well as the private sector, industry and academia from India and abroad. The India Quantum Technology Conclave looked at relevant solutions at a time when the whole world is hit with COVID, and technology is the way forward.