12-Jul-2023: India and the United States today jointly launched a call for proposals on Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives
Dr Jitendra Singh and the United States, represented by its Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, jointly launched the call for collaborative proposals on "Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives". The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Secretariat for USISTEF have designed the program.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the move comes in the wake of PM Modi’s US visit, where he stressed upon a new chapter to bilateral comprehensive and global strategic partnership. The Minister said, he felt happy that both the Indian and US sides have positioned themselves quickly to carry forward the decision of the leaders to the implementation level.
Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that the Indo-American engagement has charted a Technology Partnership for the Future with a new direction and a new energy in the AI (America – India) relation in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) era.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, among other technology-oriented matters of high relevance, it is heartening to note that President Biden and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the launch of a $2million grant program under the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) for the joint development and commercialization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies, and encouraged public-private collaborations to develop high performance computing (HPC) facilities in India.
Dr Jitendra Singh informed that India has recently approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) with an aim to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant and innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT). Needless to say, AI has the potential to address the world’s most pressing challenges and presents tremendous opportunities for economic development, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, investments in AI and quantum technology would lead to transformative advances in our everyday lives and greatly benefit our social well-being by impacting healthcare, agriculture, climate change and more. He welcomed the transformative potential of the Endowment fund.
The call will remain open till August 31, 2023 and will invite promising joint Indo-U.S. technology innovation and entrepreneurial proposals that are commercially viable and socially relevant. It will provide a significant boost to the domestic as well as the US priorities looking at various facets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
19-Apr-2023: Cabinet approves National Quantum Mission to scale-up scientific & industrial R&D for quantum technologies
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) at a total cost of Rs.6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31, aiming to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT). This will accelerate QT led economic growth, nurture the ecosystem in the country and make India one of the leading nations in the development of Quantum Technologies & Applications (QTA).
The new mission targets developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology. Satellite based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 kilometres within India, long distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km as well as multi-node Quantum network with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the Mission.
The mission will help develop magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems and Atomic Clocks for precision timing, communications and navigation. It will also support design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for fabrication of quantum devices. Single photon sources/detectors, entangled photon sources will also be developed for quantum communications, sensing and metrological applications.
Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) will be set up in top academic and National R&D institutes on the domains - Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology and Quantum Materials & Devices. The hubs which will focus on generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D in areas that are mandated to them.
NQM can take the technology development eco-system in the country to a globally competitive level. The mission would greatly benefit communication, health, financial and energy sectors as well as drug design, and space applications. It will provide a huge boost to National priorities like digital India, Make in India, Skill India and Stand-up India, Start-up India, Self-reliant India and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).