BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Thursday launched the Karnataka Quantum Mission (KQM), pledging an investment of Rs 1,000 crore to accelerate research, infrastructure, talent development and startup growth in the quantum technology sector.
A major highlight of the initiative is the proposed Quantum City (Q-City) — an integrated quantum technology hub to be established near Bengaluru. Q-City will host research centres, manufacturing units and advanced data infrastructure. The announcement was made during the inaugural session of Quantum India Bengaluru 2025, a two-day international summit on quantum science and technology, organised by the Karnataka Department of Science and Technology in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science’s (IISc) Quantum Technology Initiative.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who inaugurated the event, said the event’s theme — Building a Quantum Ecosystem - Qubits to Society — reflects the government’s goal of translating complex quantum research into solutions that can benefit key sectors.
He said the government’s Quantum Vision 2035 aims to build a $20 billion quantum economy. For this, a Quantum Technology Task Force will be set up to frame policy, and supported by a series of initiatives, including dedicated quantum parks, manufacturing zones and the Q-City innovation hub. Q-City, the CM said, will play the same role in quantum tech that Bengaluru once did for IT.
Science and Technology Minister NS Boseraju announced that with plans to create over two lakh direct jobs, Karnataka is targeting 20% of the global market share in the quantum sector. A Karnataka Quantum Roadmap was also released during the event.
Boseraju said Karnataka expects to have quantum chip fabrication capabilities operational by the end of this year. “To prepare the next generation of quantum talent, a quantum curriculum will soon be introduced at the higher secondary level in both English and Kannada, under the Stream Labs initiative.”
Pancharatnam Prize
The state government announced the institution of the Pancharatnam Prize for Excellence in Quantum Science and Technology, named in honour of physicist S Pancharatnam, who conducted his pioneering work at the University of Mysore and the Raman Research Institute. The prize will be awarded to Indian nationals whose contributions bridge fundamental quantum science and its practical applications. The inaugural award was given to Prof Rajamani Vijayaraghavan from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
‘Maha’s IT firms welcome’
DCM DK Shivakumar said Karnataka is open to IT companies that want to move from Maharashtra and they will get all the support they need. Speaking to the media, he said, “We welcome all IT companies planning to shift from Maharashtra. Karnataka will provide them with the right infrastructure and help them grow.”
FIVE Pillars of quantum strategy
The CM outlined the government’s roadmap built on five foundational pillars
Talent Development: Launch of quantum skilling programs across 20+ colleges and provision of 150 PhD fellowships annually.
R&D Excellence: Focus on advanced quantum systems, including the development of 1,000-qubit processors and real-world deployments in cybersecurity and healthcare.
Infrastructure Creation: Establishment of India’s first Quantum Hardware Park, four Innovation Zones, and a dedicated FabLine to manufacture quantum components.
Industry Support: Promotion of over 100 startups, filing of 100+ patents, and the creation of a Quantum Venture Capital Fund.
Global Partnerships: Engagement with international institutions and platforms such as the India Quantum Conclave.