Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has become the first Indian institution to join IBM’s quantum network with an aim to advance quantum computing skills development and research in India, the company said on Monday.
IIT-M joins a network with more than 180 members, including Fortune 500 companies, startups, academic institutions, and research labs. It will get cloud-based access to IBM’s most advanced quantum computing systems and quantum expertise to explore practical applications.
IIT-M’s Centre for Quantum Information, Communication and Computing will focus on advancing core algorithms in research areas like quantum machine learning, quantum optimisation, and applications research in finance. They will use IBM quantum services alongside the open-source Qiskit framework to explore areas such as quantum algorithms, quantum machine learning, quantum error correction and error mitigation, quantum tomography and quantum chemistry.
V Kamakoti, director, IIT-M, said, “We are very excited to partner with IBM in the quantum science and engineering area. We have already launched a course on quantum technologies under NPTEL co-taught by our faculty and professionals of IBM.”
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Kamakoti said the institute aims to set up an IITM-IBM quantum innovation hub.
Sandip Patel, managing director, IBM India, “This is an exciting time for us to work together and leverage each other’s expertise to drive breakthroughs in the field of quantum computing. The collaboration will open new avenues to work with industry partners to accelerate research, make quantum real and create a vibrant quantum ecosystem in India. We believe the joint work will contribute towards India’s national mission on quantum technologies and applications to grow and prepare India for the future, further advancing India as one of the global powerhouses in computing.”