Andhra CM to dedicate India’s ‘first indigenous’, open-access quantum computers on Apr 14

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will dedicate India’s “first indigenously built”, open-access computers, Amaravati 1S and 1Q, to the nation on April 14, marking an important step toward building a sovereign quantum hardware ecosystem, an official said on Thursday.

Pre-event activities, including demonstrations and technical sessions, will begin on April 10, leading up to the formal inauguration on World Quantum Day.

“This marks a significant step toward building a sovereign quantum hardware ecosystem, as Naidu will dedicate India’s first indigenously built, open-access quantum computers, Amaravati 1S and 1Q, to the nation on April 14,” CM’s Secretary P S Pradyumna told reporters.

The initiative, anchored under Amaravati Quantum Valley, is expected to position Andhra Pradesh as a global hub for quantum hardware while enabling applications in defence, healthcare, cryogenics, and semiconductor manufacturing, Pradyumna added.

Developed under the Amaravati Quantum Reference Facilities (AQRF), the systems have over 80 per cent indigenous components and will serve as India’s “first quantum hardware testbeds” for validation, certification, and research, as “no such fully built facilities previously existed in the country.”

This is a crucial intervention in India’s quantum journey, shifting from dependence on global systems to building indigenous capability and open-access infrastructure, he said.

Pradyumna noted that the initiative traces its origins to April 2025, when Naidu began the quantum push. This was followed by agreements with IBM and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a key announcement during the prime minister’s visit on May 2, and the Amaravati Declaration adopted after an all-India quantum workshop on June 30.

The secretary said the programme is built on four pillars: hardware, software and algorithms; skilling; and research, along with partnerships to drive investments, with hardware identified as the most critical to avoid past overdependence on software.

He emphasised that manufacturing quantum systems requires a testbed or reference facility, similar to global standards, where components must be validated and certified before production, making such infrastructure essential.

Quantum systems operate at temperatures close to minus 273 degrees Celsius-the lowest possible in the universe-where qubits are activated. This requires all components, such as cables, amplifiers, and control systems, to be tested under extreme conditions.

India previously lacked such quantum testbeds, and AQRF has now established the first two facilities at SRM University and Medha Towers, set up by startups Qubit Force and Qubitech.

Assembly began after the systems arrived in Amaravati on March 30.

Pradyumna noted that nearly 85 per cent of quantum hardware components can be manufactured domestically, while the remaining complex elements, such as chips, require advanced capabilities. Assembly itself is considered manufacturing, as followed globally by companies like IBM.

Unlike imported systems that function as closed “black boxes” with restricted access, the indigenous platforms will allow students, researchers, and startups to directly observe, study, and experiment, enabling the democratisation of quantum technology.

The initiative is supported by a consortium including the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), IISc, and DRDO, forming a seven-institution supply chain across six cities.

He also highlighted large-scale skilling efforts, noting that around 60,000 people have been trained, about 35,000 appeared for examinations, with nearly 50 per cent participation, and 51 per cent of participants were women.

Advanced courses saw over two lakh registrations.

The government has signed agreements to skill 45 lakh people over five years, including 10 lakh through IBM and the rest through partners, targeting both students and working professionals through reskilling and upskilling programmes.

A meeting with quantum hardware manufacturers was held on March 31 to assess requirements and explore support measures, including plans to develop a dedicated hardware ecosystem and park in the state.

He further cautioned that rapid technological shifts, including artificial intelligence, are already transforming jobs, and failure to adapt to quantum technologies could risk making the country’s decades-long software progress less relevant.