Key Details
The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser’s September 2026 report, State of Progress in India’s Quantum STI Ecosystem, assesses India’s research, investment and industrial capacity across quantum computing, communication, sensing and materials.
Indicator | Finding |
|---|---|
Research base | About 18,400 quantum and allied researchers identified through publications from 2014–24; India ranks third among individual countries in this dataset |
Scientific output | 15,272 publications during 2014–24, ranking India sixth globally |
Patents | 648 filings cumulatively over 2014–24 by applicants from India; 2024 data are provisional |
Start-ups | Around 120, mostly at the ideation or validation stage; 17 have received National Quantum Mission support |
Investment | About US$700 million in national public commitments; disclosed private-only financing was around US$11 million in 2025 |
The National Quantum Mission (NQM) has a ₹6,003.65 crore outlay for 2023–24 to 2030–31. Its four thematic hubs cover computing, communication, sensing, and materials and devices.
Research Strength Has Yet to Become Broad Commercial Capacity
India’s research base is both sizeable and expanding: around 62% of the researchers identified are early-career, while highly cited publications grew faster than overall output during the decade examined. These workforce figures count people who authored quantum-related research; they are not a census of everyone employed in the sector.
Industrial activity is emerging, but unevenly. Most of India’s roughly 120 quantum start-ups remain in early development, and only about 8% hold or have filed a patent. Private investment is concentrated in a few firms and heavily weighted towards complete computing or communication systems, with less going to components such as sensors, photonics and materials.
Demonstrations Show Progress Across Technologies
NQM-supported firms have demonstrated a 1,000-km secure quantum-key-distribution network and a 64-qubit quantum processor. Work is also progressing on quantum-sensing devices and dedicated fabrication facilities. These are significant technical milestones, but they differ from services that customers can buy and use at scale.
The assessment identifies three priorities for moving beyond demonstrations:
Post-quantum cryptography: migrating important digital systems to encryption designed to withstand future quantum attacks.
Quantum-secure communication: turning network demonstrations into commercially available services.
Portable quantum sensors: developing precision instruments, including gravity sensors, for use outside specialised laboratories.
A separate quantum-safety roadmap cited in the assessment proposes phased migration for critical information infrastructure through 2029; those dates are milestones, not completed adoption.
Funding and Intellectual Property Reveal the Next Constraint
Disclosed private-only financing rose from around US$7 million in 2022 to US$11 million in 2025. Separately, public–private “catalytic” funding rounds reached US$51.5 million in 2025, concentrated in two companies. The distinction matters: public participation is helping attract capital, but a broad institutional-investor market has not yet emerged.
Indian-applicant patent filings have risen, while foreign companies are also seeking protection in India. The report finds that 40.7% of patent filings at the Indian office were of foreign origin. The question is therefore not simply whether India attracts quantum activity, but how much domestic technology and intellectual property its ecosystem can develop and commercialise.
Policy Relevance
For the National Quantum Mission, the next measure of progress is deployment. Research output and successful demonstrations establish capability; procurement, reliable performance and paying users will show whether it translates into useful systems.
For firms and funders, the gap is broader than start-up finance. Fabrication facilities and investment in components could help more companies build products without depending on a narrow set of imported inputs or a few well-funded system developers.
For operators of sensitive digital infrastructure, preparation cannot wait for a mature quantum computer. The cited roadmap makes post-quantum cryptography a nearer-term transition task, separate from the longer commercial journey for quantum computing and sensing.
Follow the Full Report Here: State of Progress in India’s Quantum STI Ecosystem