India to get Centre of Excellence in quantum and 6G technologies

In a bid to enhance India's capabilities in quantum and 6G technologies, the Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE) India has partnered with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka to create a Centre of Excellence (CoE) focused on quantum technology and related fields.

Located at the VTU-Visvesvaraya Research and Innovation Foundation (VRIF) in Bangalore, the CoE aims to accelerate advancements in these critical sectors as part of a 100-day initiative by the Ministry of Communications.

The CoE employs a hub-and-spoke model for innovation, with VTU-VRIF and TCOE India functioning as the central hub.

The government plans to leverage the intellectual and infrastructural resources of VTU's 228 affiliated colleges, making the CoE a vital facilitator for research and development.

This model will promote advanced research, foster collaborations, and expedite innovations in Quantum and related 5G/6G technologies.

The hub will also host specialized innovation groups and gather top experts from the affiliated colleges, according to the ministry.

Furthermore, the centre will strengthen cooperation among key organizations in telecom standardization, including the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), Bharat 6G Alliance, TSDSI, and the academic and startup ecosystems.

It will support over 400,000 students, more than 2,000 PhD candidates, and numerous researchers within VTU’s network, aiming to streamline R&D and facilitate the commercialization of groundbreaking innovations.

Ajai Chowdhury, Chairman of the Mission Governing Board for the National Quantum Mission, noted that there are approximately 600 scientists and around 50 startups engaged in quantum technology across the country.

Launched in April 2023, the National Quantum Mission aims to develop capabilities in quantum-related science and technology.

“As we began our work, we assessed the number of scientists and principal investigators in this field, discovering that India has about 600 scientists and 40 to 50 startups in quantum technology,” Chowdhury shared last month, emphasizing the substantial progress being made in the sector.