Quantum and Sovereign Dreams: India’s strategy to lead the next tech frontier

India launched its National Quantum Mission (NQM) in 2023, and with this mission, the nation was not just chasing a scientific milestone, but it was laying the foundation for its next digital revolution. With a budget of Rs. 6003.65 crore and an ambition to build indigenous quantum computers, secure communication networks, and advanced sensors, the country signaled that it was ready to play a defining role in the emerging quantum economy.

Now, in 2025 the government has gone a step further. The Ministry of External Affairs has released the International Technology Engagement Strategy for Quantum Science and Technology (ITES-Q), a comprehensive roadmap that outlines how India plans to scale domestic quantum capabilities and also how it intends to shape the global discourse on this critical technology.

Quantum: The New Space Race

Quantum technology is being called the "next space race", a domain where mastery could redefine global power equations. Quantum computers promise to solve problems that are intractable for classical systems, while quantum communication and cryptography offer unparalleled security. Sensors based on quantum principles could revolutionise navigation, healthcare, and defense.

But like any emerging technology, quantum is capital and talent-intensive. The countries leading this wave the US, China, EU nations have poured billions into ecosystem development, patents, and start-up funding. And, India is now positioning itself to join this elite club.

India’s Quantum Game Plan: Four Strategic Pillars

1. Building Capability at Home

At the heart of India's strategy is the National Quantum Mission, an eight-year initiative aimed at creating world-class research hubs (T-Hubs) in quantum computing (IISc), materials (IIT Delhi), sensing (IISER Pune), and communications (RRI, Bengaluru). The goal is to build intermediate-scale quantum computers with 20 –1000 qubits and develop secure satellite-based communication systems.

Public research and development institutions like DRDO, CSIR, and MeitY are actively funding projects, while over 50 academic programs have been rolled out to train a quantum-ready workforce. More than 170 professors and postdocs are engaged in quantum research across areas like superconducting circuits, optical lattices, and quantum dots.

2. Collaborating with the World

India acknowledges the fact that no country can master quantum in isolation. The ITES-Q strategy highlights robust global collaborations such as US-India iCET and QUAD Quantum Centre of Excellence for joint hardware development and cryptographic research, the EU-India Trade & Tech Council, UK-India TSI, and bilateral MoUs with France, Israel, Canada, and Japan.

These partnerships focus on co-innovation, shared IP, expert exchange, and standards-setting, with India aiming to play a leading role in the global ethics and regulation of quantum tech.

3. Creating a Sovereign Ecosystem

While India wants to collaborate globally, it is equally determined to reduce dependency on foreign software stacks like IBM’s Qiskit or Google’s Cirq. The report flags concerns about export controls, data sovereignty, and technological black-boxing in a geopolitically charged environment.

Hence, the push to develop indigenous software platforms, local hardware manufacturing, and even FDI screening mechanisms for critical quantum assets, mirroring the safeguards seen in the EU and US.

4. Investing in Talent and Startups

India’s STEM base is unmatched and acknowledged globally, it accounts for 28% of the global STEM talent pool. But the challenge is converting this academic strength into deep-tech innovation.

To this end, the government has supported the rise of 69 quantum startups, though most are in the ideation phase. Funding rose from just USD 1.32 million in 2018 to over USD 14 million in 2024. However, India still trails the US, which boasts over USD 6.94 billion in private quantum investments.

There is an urgent need to transition from angel-driven funding to venture capital and PPP-backed accelerators, says the report. The government is also exploring patent buyback schemes and spinouts from public labs to close the commercialisation gap.

Where India Stands Today and Tomorrow

India is still catching up in global patent filings and full-stack quantum development, but its strategic intent is clear. The country has the raw ingredients — talent, public digital infrastructure, academic pedigree, and geopolitical clout — to become a trusted quantum partner to the world.

India’s approach grounded in collaboration but anchored in self-reliance may well be the blueprint other developing economies look to as they navigate this uncharted frontier.

As the United Nations declares 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, India’s quantum ambitions are no longer abstract. They are tangible, targeted, and timed perfectly to shape the future.