At Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Prof Dipti Gupta is developing cryogenic flex wiring capable of functioning at -271 degrees Celsius. This technology is critical for a range of scientific applications involving cryogenic machinery, including quantum systems. Her startup, Dimira, was selected by the National Quantum Mission as one of India’s first quantum startups.
But, as her work progressed, she encountered a bottleneck: the absence of testing and standardisation facilities in India. While the wiring has been developed at room temperature, testing it under actual cryogenic conditions remained a challenge because India did not have a testing facility.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, L. Venkat Subramaniam, head of IBM Quantum India, was grappling with the question of how India could join the emerging field of quantum computing. Through his book Quantum Nation, he outlined a roadmap for India to become an early player in this futuristic domain. To him, Gupta’s challenge was not an isolated case but a reflection of a systemic gap: even as India designs, develops and innovates, it struggles in the testing and standardising of quantum hardware. “As long as we don’t manufacture the hardware, we won’t master the technology,” Venkat told THE WEEK.
A turning point came in March 2025, when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu sought his help in bringing IBM’s 156-qubit quantum computer to Amaravati. With remarkable speed, Naidu secured support from industry leaders including IBM, TCS and L&T. The system is now slated to be operational in Amaravati by the end of 2026.
The Andhra Pradesh government has also started engaging with research institutions and companies through conferences. At one such event in New Delhi on September 30, 2025, Venkat met his future business partner Prudhvi Pinnaka, an IIM graduate who worked for Boston Consulting Group before leaving to pursue entrepreneurship.
In October 2025, Venkat quit his job with the target to build test facilities for quantum hardware in India. He met several investors and explained his idea, but none of them were convinced because the quantum hardware ecosystem remained fragmented. “Everything was sketchy,” he recalled. “At that time, Prudhvi believed in my idea and came forward to invest.”
The duo met Naidu and proposed building a basic-capacity quantum computer that could serve as a testing platform. The chief minister immediately connected them with key officials.
Their companies—Venkat’s Qbit Force Private Ltd and Prudhvi’s Qubitech Smart Solutions—were given space in Medha Towers, a developing deep-tech hub near Vijayawada International Airport. Venkat set an ambitious target: to operationalise the testing facility by April 14, 2026, World Quantum Day, marking 100 years of quantum science.
“It looked impossible,” he said. “We had to source supplies and recruit scientists who could pull off this first-of-its-kind project.” There was sustained support from government officials, with the National Quantum Mission and the Amaravati Quantum Valley—launched by the AP government in February 2026—also joining the effort.
Venkat identified Indian suppliers for major components. Prof R. Vijayaraghavan of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research supplied 3D processors and Josephson Parametric Amplifier, while Prof Vibhor Singh of Indian Institute of Science Bangalore supplied 2D processors. Gupta of IIT Bombay supplied flex wiring, and Qbit Force partnered with Sidwal Industries for dilution refrigerators. Additional contributions came from Qute Electronics (precision power modules) and the DRDO’s Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (control electronics). More than 60 per cent of components were sourced domestically. Not just one but two testing systems were built—one at Medha Towers and another at SRM University, following Naidu’s intervention.
The facilities, both of which were inaugurated on April 14, are India’s first open-access quantum hardware testing platforms, allowing researchers and startups to validate their components. “We can test any quantum hardware now. For instance, if you have produced control electronics, we would open our system, install your components, carry out tests and give you the results,” Venkat said.
Until now, the only open-access facility that Indian researchers could rely on was Bluefors Lab in Delft, the Netherlands—an expensive and time-consuming option that many cannot afford. “Our two testing facilities cost about Rs30 crore, which is half the imported price,” Prudhvi said. “This number indicates a great export potential for quantum hardware from India. Indigenising such components was widely seen as one of the hardest steps in building a self-reliant quantum ecosystem. That has now changed.”
When THE WEEK met Venkat and Prudhvi in Hyderabad, they were scouting for vendors to scale up production. “We already have more than 10 orders,” Prudhvi said. “We want to build better and smarter machines, so we are talking to manufacturers in Hyderabad, given its strengths in defence, aerospace and precision tool manufacturing.”
How does a quantum computer work?
A quantum computer looks very different from a normal computer. It looks like a large laboratory machine. Its main component is a cooling system that lowers the temperature to -271 degrees Celsius—colder than outer space. Inside, there is a structure that looks like an upside-down chandelier, and at its base sits a tiny chip where the computation happens.
Unlike ordinary computers, which use bits (0 or 1), quantum computers use qubits, which can be 0, 1 or both at the same time. This is called superposition. Qubits can also be linked together, so the state of one qubit can depend on another. These properties allow quantum computers to process many possibilities simultaneously rather than one at a time.