Karnataka announces Rs 1,000 crore Quantum Mission, VC fund for startups
ETtech August 01, 2025 01:00 AM
Synopsis

Chief minister Siddaramaiah said policy initiatives will be guided by a Quantum Technology Task Force. The vision is to make the state the quantum capital of Asia, on the five pillars of talent development, R&D pilots, infrastructure, industry support, and global partnerships, he added.

The Karnataka government on Wednesday launched a Rs 1,000 crore Quantum Mission with a vision to build a $20 billion quantum economy by 2035. Chief minister Siddaramaiah said a Quantum Technology Task Force will guide policy, while dedicated quantum parks, manufacturing zones, and Q-City will foster innovation in the state.

The state will also launch a Quantum Venture Capital Fund to back over 100 startups and help generate 100 patents to create two lakh jobs in the sector.

Siddarmaiah said with a vision to be the ‘Quantum Capital of Asia,’ Karnataka's roadmap is built on the five pillars of talent development, research and development (R&D) pilots, infrastructure, industry support, and global partnerships. He was speaking during the two-day Quantum India Bengaluru 2025 summit, co-organised by the Department of Science & Technology and IISc.

In its Quantum roadmap, Karnataka also announced the establishment of India’s first Quantum Hardware Park, four innovation zones, and a dedicated fabrication facility to boost domestic manufacturing of quantum components.

“By 2035, we aim to create 10,000 high-skilled jobs and establish Karnataka as the Quantum Capital of Asia,” the CM emphasised. To foster a holistic ecosystem, the state government will also introduce quantum skilling programmes in 20 colleges and 150 PhD fellowships.

The state government aims to develop 1,000-qubit quantum processors and pilot applications in healthcare, cybersecurity, and defence, with active applications in governance. The state’s science and technology minister, NS Boseraju, said a quantum chip fabrication capability will be operational by the year-end.

Karnataka’s initiative comes at a time when 2025 is being observed globally as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. CM Siddarmaiah stressed that quantum tech will not only drive economic growth but also improve governance, secure communication, smarter agriculture, and early disease detection.

Boseraju added that the state government has already demonstrated its commitment to this technology by establishing a Quantum Research Park at IISc, Bengaluru. This facility has supported over 55 R&D projects and 13 startups while training more than 1,000 quantum experts annually. "To sustain this momentum, our government has sanctioned an additional grant of Rs 48 crore," he added.
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