Bengaluru-based startup QpiAI is bringing advanced quantum hardware to Gujarat. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Pandit Deendayal Energy University to install an 8-qubit quantum computer on its campus and set up a new Quantum Centre of Excellence.
The partnership aims to boost local workforce readiness as India works to build up its domestic quantum ecosystem.
Under the terms of the agreement, QpiAI will place its QVidya system at the university alongside matching software, application libraries, and connections to the campus computing setup. Students and researchers outside the university will also be able to tap into the hardware through the firm’s cloud platform.
Dr Nagendra Nagaraja, who serves as the founder and chief executive of QpiAI, pointed out that Gujarat is an ideal fit for the deployment because of its heavy concentration of refineries, renewable energy projects, chemical plants, and financial entities centered around GIFT City. He noted that the region naturally requires workforce upskilling in quantum information science and computing.
Expanding Academic Access
Pandit Deendayal Energy University was established as Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University in 2007 and was renamed Pandit Deendayal Energy University in 2021, gradually broadening its academic focus into new technology and energy sectors.
Prof Sundar S Manoharan, the director general of the university, stated that the newly launched center will give students a vital platform for education, training, and deep research.
While quantum computing remains an early-stage technology, researchers are actively exploring how it might eventually solve complex problems in chemistry, materials, optimization, and energy. Industry experts note that practical large-scale applications are still an ongoing research challenge rather than an immediate replacement for traditional computers.
The deployment arrives amid a broader national push supported by significant public spending.
The National Quantum Mission received approval in 2023 with a financial outlay of Rs 6,003.65 crore running through the 2030-31 period. That initiative seeks to foster domestic capabilities across quantum computing, sensing, communications, materials, and devices, backed by four active thematic hubs involving 152 researchers across 43 institutions.
Broader Industry Momentum
Private sector activity in the quantum space is expanding in parallel with government programs. In May 2025, IBM, Tata Consultancy Services, and the Andhra Pradesh government announced plans to deploy an IBM Quantum System Two at the Quantum Valley Tech Park in Amaravati. The planned system will feature IBM’s 156-qubit Heron quantum processor, while TCS will work with IBM on quantum algorithms and applications.
For its part, QpiAI is also rolling out other academic installations, including a 25-qubit system at IIIT-Dharwad and IIIT-Raichur. The startup is simultaneously working on quantum error correction for its 64-qubit Kaveri processor.
