CAPTION: At IIT-Bombay, space, science and technology minister Jitendra Singh dedicates to the nation the liquid helium facility, which will decrease the reliance on foreign sources of helium and reduce costs of cryogenic experiments to a tenth of the present value and contribute significantly to the growing research portfolio of superconductivity, quantum computing and sensing, photonics, healthcare, space exploration and green energy

NEW DELHI: Space, science and technology minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday announced the establishment of four state-of-the-art quantum fabrication and central facilities worth Rs 720 crore across three IITs (Delhi, Bombay and Kanpur) and IISc-Bengaluru under the National Quantum Mission (NQM).Making the announcement during his visit to IIT-Bombay, the minister said these cutting-edge facilities mark a decisive leap in India’s journey toward technological sovereignty, positioning the nation among the select global leaders advancing next-generation quantum technologies.He said new fabrication and characterisation capabilities, spanning quantum sensing, quantum computing and quantum materials will serve as the foundational hardware ecosystem needed to build sovereign, secure, scalable quantum devices and systems within the country. These facilities, he said, will be open not only to NQM investigators, but also to academia, industry, startups and strategic sectors across India.He highlighted that IIT-Bombay and IIT-Kanpur will anchor the nation’s quantum sensing and metrology infrastructure; IISc-Bengaluru and IIT-Bombay will advance quantum computing fabrication using superconducting, photonic and spin qubits; and IIT-Delhi will host India’s quantum materials and device development ecosystem. These capabilities, he said, will create a controlled environment for prototyping indigenous quantum devices, supporting translational research, and training the next generation of quantum hardware experts.Speaking about IIT Bombay’s Technology Innovation Hub under the national mission on interdisciplinary cyber-physical systems, Singh said the hub has become a national model for translational research, supporting 96 technology development projects and more than 50 deep-tech startups. Among its 23 portfolio companies, several are already revenue-generating, with a combined valuation of Rs 466 crore.The minister pointed out that new quantum fabrication and centralised facilities will become a national pride asset, just as India’s space achievements such as Chandrayaan have elevated the global esteem of Indian youth and scientists.Singh concluded by saying that the NQM, NM-ICPS and BharatGen collectively represent India’s bold strides toward a future defined by deep-tech leadership, knowledge sovereignty, and Atmanirbhar Bharat.