MAHE launches quantum-hub to strengthen India’s indigenous quantum technology ecosystem

Bengaluru: Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence deemed-to-be university, has announced the establishment of Quantum-Hub@MAHE (Q-HUB@MAHE) at the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Bengaluru, aimed at accelerating India’s indigenous quantum hardware ecosystem and supporting the goals of the National Quantum Mission.

The initiative is designed as a comprehensive design-to-deployment platform that integrates quantum hardware experimentation, deep-tech startup incubation, component innovation, workforce development, testing infrastructure and translational research under a single academic ecosystem. The project is expected to play a key role in strengthening India’s sovereign capabilities across the emerging quantum technology value chain.

Under the initiative, the Bengaluru campus of Manipal Institute of Technology will serve as the operational hub for advanced hardware experimentation, cryogenic and radio-frequency (RF) infrastructure, along with specialised quantum engineering education and training programmes.

In its first phase, the facility will deploy a 25-qubit dilution refrigeration open-architecture system, which will be used for advanced training and experimental research. The university has also outlined a long-term roadmap to scale up capabilities, progressing from sub-50 qubit training systems to 50–150 qubit proof-of-concept platforms, eventually aiming to build industrial-grade systems with more than 150 to 1,000 qubits.

Unlike vendor-locked systems commonly used in many quantum facilities, Q-HUB@MAHE has been designed as an open-architecture platform. This approach will enable indigenous development of components, calibration systems, hardware integration and scalable manufacturing pathways. The long-term objective includes the development of indigenous Quantum Processing Units (QPU) and commercially viable quantum hardware platforms.

The initiative has also been formalised through Memorandums of Agreement with several global and national technology partners including QuantrolOx and Bluefors from Finland, QBLOX from the Netherlands, ConScience from Sweden and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

These collaborations will guide the Year-1 roadmap, focusing on workforce training, hardware experimentation, intellectual property co-development and creation of national testing infrastructure aligned with the strategic priorities of the National Quantum Mission.

As part of its academic outreach, the centre aims to train at least 100 quantum engineers by December 2026 through a structured certification programme combining online learning modules, assessments and hands-on laboratory training. The facility will also function as a national testing and measurement gateway, providing access to advanced quantum infrastructure for researchers, startups and industry partners.