Think Quantum, Think IBM
As India strives to establish itself as a global leader in quantum computing, IBM has emerged as a pivotal force in shaping its ecosystem. The country has long been hailed for its tech talent, yet it rarely controls the infrastructure underpinning global computing. In an exclusive interaction with AIM, L Venkata Subramaniam, IBM’s Quantum India Leader, offers a ground-level view of how global tech meets national ambition in the subcontinent’s quantum leap. He believes that quantum computing presents a rare window for the country to lead the global supply chain. “When anybody talks quantum, they first think of IBM because of our deep engagement with the ecosystem here,” he said. India’s ₹6,000 crore National Quantum Mission (NQM) aims to drive research, development, and education in quantum technology by forging partnerships across academia, startups, and industry. IBM is closely aligned with this mission and deeply embedded in multiple aspects of it, from education to innovation and commercial applications. “We have a history of innovation and talent creation, but we do not take them too far. We stop at some point and then somebody takes over,” he said during his talk at the Nano Electronics Roadshow 2025. Now, IBM is trying to change that, not just through research and development, but by helping India claim a stake in the future global quantum supply chain. Building a Nation of Builders At the heart of IBM’s strategy is talent, and the belief that India has plenty of it. “India is unmatched at this point in terms of talent and enthusiasm in quantum,” said Subramaniam. But for him, talent is not enough unless it’s applied. “The one thing I want to tell young people today is they need to build. Don’t wait for anybody. Don’t wait for anything. If you have an idea, just build it.” Historically, India’s challenge has been a disconnect between academia and industry. The NQM, Subramaniam believes, is changing that. “The whole purpose of the NQM is to make that academia-industry connect happen so that the talent which gets produced also gets utilised here in India.” IBM’s role includes conducting summer schools, hackathons, and NPTEL (National Programme on Technology-Enhanced Learning) courses, which have attracted over 15,000 students. “We ensured that people actually worked on a real quantum system,” he noted. What is IBM Doing? In support of skilling, IBM is co-developing 11 textbooks with IITs, startups, and other partners. Over 100 colleges have already signed up. This is to help author these textbooks and roll out a nationwide undergraduate minor programme in quantum technologies. “You’ll see 11 books soon coming out,” said Subramaniam. “No other country has gone out and announced a national-scale skilling programme where students can learn quantum, supported by books and video lectures.” He adds that the initiative has also changed traditional academic publishing norms. “They had this rule that only PhDs can write the books… but now they realise that in an area like quantum, sometimes people in industry have so much knowledge, but they might not have a PhD.” This collaborative effort between industry and academia marks a shift in how India approaches technology development and education. “Books are being written and videos are being recorded. IBM quantum computers are available for free use worldwide, and India is utilising them. These children are self-learning and already contributing to open-source code.” Supply Chain Sovereignty Much of the conversation about quantum revolves around the number of qubits and the promise of error correction. Other major companies, such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), as well as countries like China, have made significant progress. However, Subramaniam wants India to take a step back and think bigger. “The processor is the heart, but it’s not everything,” he said. “There is a software stack, there are memory chips, control circuitry, cryogenic amplifiers, wiring, and microwave subsystems. There is an opportunity to pick one of these and control that supply chain.” In the era of classical computing, five countries controlled nearly every layer of the PC supply chain. India was absent. Subramaniam warns against repeating that mistake and shows an opportunity if the country delves into this early. Rise of Startups Quantum computing startups in India are thriving. When the NQM issued its first call to fund deep tech startups, expectations were modest. “They thought 20 startups might apply. Do you know how many applied? 104,” said Subramaniam. He highlighted the unique nature of many of these companies, expressing that many of these quantum startups were comprised of highly qualified young Indians supported by faculty who had been their teachers. IBM mentors several such startups through its Quantum Network. “We are very deeply engaged with the deep tech startups because we believe there is a lot of talent here, and there is a lot of potential in these startups actually to grow up to become world-class companies in this area.” Beyond private sector collaborations, the union government and various state governments, such as Andhra Pradesh, are establishing “quantum valleys” in partnership with IBM. Quantum’s future doesn’t just lie in R&D labs but in the hands of fast-moving startups that can solve real-world problems. “Historically, our software industry is the best in the world. So if you want to use a computer to solve problems, this is where that solution should come from.” IBM’s Global Roadmap Meets Local Ambitions Subramaniam views IBM as leading the global quantum race with its consistent progress. “IBM is the only company with a very clear published roadmap for this whole decade. We haven’t missed anything. Whatever we said we were going to achieve, we’ve been able to achieve.” That includes a near-term goal of demonstrating quantum advantage, which is solving a problem that a classical computer cannot. “We will have error-corrected qubits by 2029, and that’s ahead of the peers at this point,” he added. While India may not yet build the most powerful hardware, its strength lies in applications and software. He urges that if the country is to utilise a quantum computer to solve problems, the solution should ideally be developed indigenously. Subramaniam points to Tata Institute of Fundamental Research’s (TIFR) development of India’s first six-qubit quantum computer as a sign of tangible progress. “You can go see it in his lab. You can actually programme it,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time.” As India positions itself within the global quantum race, Subramaniam believes that whether it’s through code, collaboration, or curriculum, India has a good opportunity to make a difference.
“We will have error-corrected qubits by 2029, and that’s ahead of the peers at this point,” says IBM India Quantum Lead
"We will have error-corrected qubits by 2029, and that’s ahead of the peers at this point,” says IBM India Quantum Lead
["IBM", "quantum", "Quantum computing India"]
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["AI", "Aim", "AWS", "R", "Go", "API", "innovation", "startup", "cloud_platforms:AWS", "cloud_platforms:Amazon Web Services"]
An information designer who loves to learn about and try new developments in the field of tech and AI. She likes to spend her spare time reading and exploring absurdism in literature.