Government clears 23 institutions to set up ‘quantum labs’

Twenty-three academic institutions across India have been approved for setting up quantum teaching laboratories under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), with another 100 proposals currently being evaluated, according to details that emerged from the joint monthly meeting of Secretaries of the Science Ministries held in New Delhi on Monday (March 16, 2026).

The NQM, approved with a ₹6003.65 crore budget (2023–2031), aims to develop 50–1,000 qubit quantum computers, satellite-based secure communication, and high-precision quantum sensors/materials. 

A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission is expected later this year, and a navigation satellite for the Indian Navy is planned for launch around May – matters that were discussed in the meeting. Two government-commissioned satellites EOS-9 (also known as RISAT-1B) and EOS-N1, intended for maritime surveillance and defence among other purposes, failed after the PSLV-rockets carrying them malfunctioned following lift-off and were unable to place these satellites in their intended orbits.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) said it was reviewing manpower guidelines for project staff, which were last updated in 2020 to align them with norms under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation framework, said a press statement on the meeting outcome.

The meeting, chaired by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh, also reviewed preparations for the India International Science Festival 2026, with Pune identified as the proposed venue. The Department of Biotechnology said it had begun work on the event’s framework, though a final programme and schedule are yet to be decided and will be discussed with stakeholder agencies in the coming weeks.

Among the attendees were Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood, DST Secretary Abhay Karandikar, DBT Secretary Rajesh S. Gokhale, DSIR Secretary N. Kalaiselvi, MoES Secretary M. Ravichandran and ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan.