Andhra govt announces India's first Quantum reference facility at Amaravati

Amaravati, Sep 11 (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday announced the establishment of India's first Quantum reference facility at Amaravati Quantum Valley with an estimated outlay of Rs 40 crore.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that the facility will provide testing, benchmarking, and characterisation of quantum components, laying the foundation for indigenous manufacturing of quantum computers from Amaravati.

"We will establish India's first Quantum Reference Facility at Amaravati Quantum Valley. The facility will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore," said an official release, quoting Naidu.

The CM said that Amaravati Quantum Valley will not just be a hub for research, but also the birthplace of India's indigenous quantum computer manufacturing ecosystem.

The CM chaired a meeting with leading startups, academic institutions, research organisations and global partners engaged in the development of quantum hardware.

The National Quantum Mission (NQM) and Department of Science & Technology (DST) are providing policy and programmatic support, while International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) are serving as strategic anchors, said the release.

The chief minister said the Amaravati facility will accelerate indigenous innovation by reducing dependency on imports and align with the Government of India's National Quantum Mission.

The initiative positions Andhra Pradesh as a global hub for deep-tech innovation and advanced quantum manufacturing, it added. PTI MS KH