India’s roadmap to become one of the world’s top three quantum computing powers by 2035 is a representation of Asia’s ambition in the global quantum race. The region is focusing infrastructure investments on QuantumAI, where the integration of related hardware and intelligent systems will become a matter of national and economic security. This commitment could shift Asia from being a contender in the next era of computing.
This ambition is backed by the National Quantum Mission (NQM), and Semicon India Programme, which aims to position India alongside the US, China, and Europe in pursuit of technological supremacy and economic advantage. Its immediate objective is to incubate at least 10 quantum startups, each generating over US$100 million in revenue. The ultimate national goal however, is to capture over 50% of the international quantum software and services sector.
Shifting from lab to market-ready operations
India’s shift from academic curiosity to industrial application is already a live operation. As of 2026, the National Quantum Mission has activated four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) as independent Section-8 companies, coordinating 152 researchers across 43 institutions. These hubs, such as the Foundation for QC Innovation at IISc Bengaluru, function as the primary engines for incubation and cross-border industry collaboration.
This infrastructure is already yielding domestic milestones. In April 2025, the Bengaluru-based startup QpiAI launched ‘Indus’, India’s first full-stack 25-qubit superconducting quantum processor. This was followed by an $8.4 million order in early 2026 from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) for a 108-qubit system from Rigetti Computing, scheduled for the deployment in late 2026 as part of India’s Hybrid HPC-Quantum Mission.
However, these successes also expose a bottleneck. Despite contributing 11% of the top 10% of most-cited research papers globally, India’s path to commercialization is hindered by low venture capital investment and bureaucratic hurdles. This is further complicated by structural fragmentation, which creates regional imbalances and uneven digital maturity, leading to disconnected innovation streams.
The roadmap identifies weaknesses in both the IP pipeline and domestic supply chains – an admission that signals India’s intent to stay front and center. However, if these gaps remain unbridged, the nation risks devolving into a passive consumer in the very quantum economy it set out to lead.
Ecosystem Building and the QuantumAI Advantage
Commercial viability in the quantum sector is not a byproduct of capital alone; it requires an ecosystem-builder ethos. While government grants provide spark and support, scaling requires venture builders to match academic breakthroughs with market-ready businesses. Startups are the primary vehicles for this acceleration, and their agility is indispensable for managing the staggering risks and requirements of deep tech.
Recognising this, India’s NQM has bypassed traditional bureaucracy, implementing exclusive guidelines to onboard eight pioneer ventures as of late 2025. The most imminent economic arbitrage, however, lies in the convergence of Quantum and AI.
India’s established software capabilities position it well for the hybrid era. Long before fault-tolerant hardware arrives, the nation is positioned to lead in QuantumAI applications by merging classical High-Performance Computing (HPC) with early-stage quantum processors. Partnerships such as the MOU between C-DAC and Rigetti Computing are early indicators of how this hybrid future is being formalized.
Synchronizing Asia’s cross-border innovation
This momentum is rippling across the Asia-Pacific. QuantumAI is gaining traction throughout the region, with venture builders increasingly positioning themselves at the intersection of research and commercialization. QAI Ventures, which the author founded and leads, expanded operations to Singapore and Japan in 2025 as part of this trend.
India’s roadmap now is consistent with established regional powerhouses, such as Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 plan. This is beneficial for the region because Singapore’s focus on bilingual researchers in AI and scientific domains, complements India’s massive talent pool. Together, they create a connected innovation across the region.
Ultimately, achieving “Quantum Atmanirbharta” is a race for digital sovereignty. For India to achieve its goal of becoming a top-three quantum power by 2035, it must prioritize the systematic commercialization of its academic IP.
Missing this opportunity would not only stifle domestic growth but could also amplify vulnerabilities in defense and cybersecurity. Without early industry adoption and a role in global standard-setting, India risks falling behind in the very race it has committed to leading.
*** This article originally appeared on Issue 12 of w.media’s Cloud & Datacenters magazine and may be read on pages 40-41 here.