Quantum Computing and AI: Enabling Next Generation Innovation

  • The Foundation for Quantum Computing Innovation, in collaboration with iSPIRT Foundation, organized a hybrid event titled “Quantum Computing and AI: Enabling Next Generation Innovation” on 13 January 2026 at IISc Bengaluru.
  • The event convened leading experts from academia, industry, and national initiatives to deliberate on the strategic and technical convergence of Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence. Designed as a build-up initiative, it laid the groundwork for deeper discussions at the AI Impact Summit scheduled for February 2026.
  • The programme commenced with a Keynote Address by Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, Co-Founder HCL and Chairman, Mission Governing Board, NQM, followed by the opening address by Mr. Umakant Soni, Senior Volunteer, iSPIRT Foundation.
  • Session I: AI–Quantum Synergy featured expert talks by Prof. M. S. Santhanam (IISER Pune), Dr. Dhinakaran Vinayagamurthy (IBM Research Bengaluru), Dr. Debanjan Konar (Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore), and Prof. Ajay Singh, Member, Task Force for Implementation of the Quantum-Safe Ecosystem in India under the NQM. The session included panel discussion with Prof. Shankar Kumar Selvaraja (IISc Bengaluru), Dr. L. Venkata Subramaniam (Ex-IBM), Dr. Nagendra Nagaraja (QpiAI), Dr. Madhan Kumar Srinivasan (Wise Work).
  • Session II: Hardware & Materials Reality featured talks by Prof. C. M. Chandrashekar (IISc Bengaluru) and Prof. Saptarishi Chaudhuri (Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru), followed by a panel discussion with Prof. Umakant D. Rapol (IISER Pune), Mr. Kapil Jaiswal (Quantum AI Global, QuLabs), Mr. Ravi Mehta (Quanfluence), and Dr. Amruta Gadge (SIIC, IIT Kanpur). The panel discussion featured Dr. Shesha Raghunathan (IBM Research), Dr. M. Girish Chandra (TCS), Ms. Reena Dayal (QETCI), and Mr. Vidyut Navelkar (Ex-TCS).
  • Insights: Photonics and neutral-atom platforms are demonstrating strong momentum, with photonic systems achieving high-fidelity gates (~98%) and boson-sampling capabilities, while neutral-atom architectures are scaling to ~400-qubit arrays with faster spin-noise readout.
  • Standards and certification emerged as an urgent priority, particularly in Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), to enable trusted deployment.
  • Quantum–AI synergy is expected to deliver the most significant long-term impact, with hybrid approaches driving practical value.
  • Quantum sensing and metrology offer nearer-term return on investment compared to large-scale quantum computing, with quantum sensors positioned as foundational tools—the “shovels” in an emerging quantum goldmine.
  • Read more: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/
MENU