The classical digital world is poised for disruption. It will change fundamentally with quantum computing (QC), which enables much faster computing than what today’s supercomputers can accomplish. What could take an advanced supercomputer thousands of years can be solved by QC in minutes.
QC research in India, so far, has been government-funded and carried out mainly by government-owned research labs. (PIXBAY)
India is the world’s largest destination for outsourcing in the classical information technology (IT) world. Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India programme, India has emerged as a global leader in many e-governance applications. However, India’s leadership can’t be taken for granted in the new era. This is why the Cabinet’s recent decision to approve the Indian National Quantum Mission (INQM) is a proactive, visionary decision, which puts India in the elite club of seven nations to have a dedicated quantum mission. INQM aims to make India a leading nation in quantum technologies and applications. This is aspirational because we are not close to it. The number of patents filed in QC worldwide jumped from 200 to 1,500 between 2008 to 2018; the United States, China and Europe accounted for the lion’s share, and India is nowhere close.
QC research in India, so far, has been government-funded and carried out mainly by government-owned research labs. Some startups have entered this sector, but the absence of big corporations is conspicuous. The world over, the growth of QC is the result of research and development by industry and startups. Google, IBM, Microsoft and Amazon are developing QC hardware and software. It was Google that first announced 128-qubit (quantum bit) QC in 2018, a milestone in the development of large-scale QCs.
Cybersecurity is likely to get disrupted by QC, which can easily break powerful cryptography techniques. Startups such as Isara and Post Quantum have developed Post Quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms, which are gaining acceptance. Blockchains and blockchain-based cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, are facing a threat from QC. According to a Deloitte analysis, 25% of Bitcoins (worth approximately $173 billion) are at risk of being stolen. Applications such as asset trading, supply chains, identity management and others, all blockchain-based applications could be hit.
QC will transform sectors such as pharma, health care, finance, logistics, aeronautics and space. Recognising the potential of QC risk assessment in an uncertain environment, several big financial institutions such as RBS, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, among others, have invested in QC startups.
Indian startups, too, have started to make some impact in QC. Atomberg Technologies is developing hardware for QC; QuNu Labs is developing quantum-based random number generators for secure communication; Kriya Labs is developing software for QC. Policy interventions are needed to create an enabling ecosystem for industry-led QC research. The government could provide complex real-life problems as challenges, which require startups to build QC solutions.
The government could share development costs and assure procurement of solutions so developed. QC hardware requires specialised equipment and materials, such as superconducting materials and cryogenic systems, which are expensive.
The government could make these available to industry and startups, set up a high-level mechanism, such as the one set up for semiconductor fab for involving industry partners in developing superconducting materials and superconducting qubits.
The IT industry could get into developing software for QCs. Development of QC-related standards is yet another important area where the government could involve the industry. Engineering institutes could provide high-end resources. India is the reigning champion of IT. To retain our crown jewel in the QC world, the time to involve the industry and startups is now.
Ajay Kumar is former defence secretary and distinguished visiting professor, IIT KanpurThe views expressed are personal
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