The Karnataka government has launched a ₹1,000 crore Quantum Mission with the aim of transforming the state into a $20 billion quantum economy by 2035. This initiative includes establishing a Q-City (Quantum City) near Bengaluru, designed as an integrated hub for quantum technology innovation, manufacturing, research, and talent development. The announcement was made at the Quantum India Summit 2025 in Bengaluru, which was co-organised by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), according to a report by the Indian Express.
- Ambitious Economic Goals: Karnataka aims to create a $20 billion quantum economy by 2035, positioning itself as the “quantum capital of Asia.” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that this initiative is expected to generate 10,000 high-skilled jobs. The state also plans to develop 1,000-qubit quantum processors and pilot real-world applications in sectors like healthcare, cybersecurity, governance, agriculture, and early disease detection.
- Quantum City Development: The proposed Q-City will feature world-class facilities, integrating academic institutions, innovation centers, manufacturing clusters for quantum hardware and processors, ancillary units, and R&D hubs supported by quantum high-performance computing (HPC) data centers. Minister Boseraju emphasized the importance of this integrated approach to fostering quantum technology advancements.
- Startup and Patent Support: The government will establish a Quantum Technology Task Force to guide policy frameworks and launch a Quantum Venture Capital Fund to support over 100 startups. The initiative also aims to generate at least 100 patents in the quantum sector, with an overall expectation of creating over 2 lakh direct jobs.
- Existing Quantum Infrastructure: Karnataka is already home to India’s first commercially deployable quantum computer, which was built in Bengaluru by a team of Kannadigas. Additionally, the state has established a Quantum Research Park at IISc Bengaluru, which has supported over 55 R&D projects and 13 startups, while training more than 1,000 quantum professionals annually. To further boost these activities, the state has sanctioned an additional ₹48 crore in funding.
- Hardware and Innovation Zones: Karnataka plans to establish India’s first Quantum Hardware Park, along with four innovation zones and a dedicated quantum chip fabrication facility, expected to be operational by the end of 2025. This chip fabrication capability will enable domestic production of advanced quantum components and devices.
- Talent Development and Skilling Programs: To develop talent across the state, Karnataka will roll out a quantum curriculum at the higher secondary level in both English and Kannada under its Stream Labs initiative. The state will also introduce quantum skilling programs in 20 colleges, expand DST-funded PhD fellowships to 150 students, and extend these programs to tier-2 and tier-3 cities and over 20 universities.
Minister Boseraju also highlighted the necessity for policy flexibility from the central government to facilitate state-level innovation, urging the Centre to allow Karnataka to lead with innovative and decentralised approaches for the successful implementation of the National Quantum Mission, which has an outlay of ₹6,000 crore.
The roadmap is structured around five strategic pillars: talent development, R&D pilots, infrastructure, industry support, and global partnerships, ensuring a comprehensive approach to building a robust quantum ecosystem in the state.
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