Union Budget 2020: Govt announces Rs 8,000-cr outlay for national mission on quantum tech

The government on Saturday announced Rs 8,000 crore outlay for developing quantum computing linked technologies under the National Mission on Quantum technologies and Applications.

"Quantum technology is opening up new frontiers in computing, communications, cyber security with with spread applications. It is expected that a lot of commercial applications would emerge from theoretical constructs which are developing in this area. It is proposed to provide an outlay of Rs 8,000 crore over a period of five years for the National Mission on Quantum technologies and applications," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget speech. 

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has signed an agreement with Israel for joint research in 27 possible areas which includes quantum computing as one of the potential segments.  

"India would probably be the third biggest and pioneering nation if we are able to break into this technology of quantum technology related computing and other applications," Sitharaman said.

A quantum computers works on principles of quantum physics. 

According to industry experts, current computing technology will take billions of years to solve a problem which can be resolved in in minutes, hours, or days by using quantum computing.

Image Credits: ANI