New Delhi: The Department of Science and Technology (DST) Secretary Professor Ashutosh Sharma highlighted the importance of bringing Industry on board in Quantum Technology and Science in India.
“The future is all about quantum and Industry 4.0, which involves convergence of cyber and digital spheres encompassing communication, computing, decision making and acting on it, needs to participate in it,” he pointed out.
Further elaborating on DST’s initiatives in the field of Quantum Technology, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma said, “Three years ago DST started a new division called ‘Frontier Technology’ which has rolled out a mission on Cyber-Physical Systems. This mission has set up about 21 hubs and 4 research parks across India, which are going to form the base for the architecture and processes of Quantum Technology Mission and will empower the Industry.”
Professor Sharma stressed on these 21 hubs are holistic entities, starting from basic R&D in each hub, human resource generation, and training at different levels to translation of the knowledge with incubators attached with every hub. Thus this model completes the whole knowledge chain from knowledge generation to knowledge to consumption.
‘For Quantum Technology (QT), a more ambitious mission called National Mission on Quantum Technology worth Rs 8,000 Crore has been launched by the Government if India. DST has mapped all the people and groups in India working in the field of QT and brought them on-board to write a Detailed Project Report,’ added union DST secretary.
“Both these missions of DST are self-sufficient in terms of generating knowledge, translation of knowledge in terms of prototype design, and this ecosystem is part of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in terms of science, technology, and innovation in India,” he added.
Professor Sharma was speaking at India Quantum Technology Conclave (IQTC2020), a webinar on Quest towards India’s “Quantum Supremacy” organized by ASSOCHAM recently.
