India's top science adviser pitches for strategic autonomy in quantum tech, flags gaps – The Economic Times

India’s top science advisor Monday flagged concerns over the virtual absence of the country’s companies in the field of quantum stacks and quantum security, and asserted that too much import dependence could lead to disruptions in the fledgling domestic ecosystem of the fast emerging sector. In a statement here, Principal Scientific Adviser to the government Professor Ajay Sood said quantum technology is an area where no country wants to be left behind as it is crucial for strategic autonomy.

“There cannot be strategic autonomy without being quantum-safe,” Sood said as he released the first edition of International Technology Engagement Strategy for Quantum (ITES-Q)

The report said an analysis of PhDs and postdoc researchers in India showed that the industry funding is at a limited stage currently with only 2.6 per cent of the surveyed researchers highlighting that they receive industry support for their work.

It said a study of the research publications in India showed the presence of foreign funding from countries such as Japan, China, Germany and others, in quantum research across verticals.

“The aspect of international funding flowing in research publications in India highlights collaboration between Indian and international counterparts but may also point towards concerns regarding research security,” the report said.

It said that globally, the financial sector was among the early adopters of quantum technology with the Bank of America leading in patent ownership in the field of quantum communication and cryptography and the HSBC Bank partnering with the University of Edinburgh to join the UK’s quantum secure metro network. “The Indian financial sector does not have much participation in the domain of quantum security and risks lagging behind,” the report said. “The participation of Indian financial service providers is currently limited in this regard, highlighting a critical gap in the quantum readiness of the sector.” Prof Sood made a strong pitch for investments in quantum hardware to reduce dependencies on imports.

“We need to bring much more funds for startups and de-risk the investment, which means we need to create markets for the products. And this is where all the players, be it government, private sectors, academia, or startups, play a role to create this ecosystem,” he added.

“We need to be an active player in defining the global standards for Quantum Tech. This is a gap we need to fill. Because once we have that, we will also play a role in standardisation efforts, and that is what leads to strategic autonomy,” Prof Sood added.