Jaipur, Jun 11 (PTI) Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Railways and Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced the establishment of an advanced quantum computing and quantum communications lab at Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur.
The lab will be set up under the Electronics and ICT Academic Project of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and will focus on developing indigenous capabilities in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), quantum computing simulation and quantum sensing hardware components.
Addressing students and faculty members, Vaishnaw said that while the current technological wave is driven by artificial intelligence, the next major wave will be led by quantum technology. He said the research undertaken at the lab will be significant for the country, especially in areas like QKD, which has critical national security applications.
The minister urged MNIT Jaipur to take a leadership role in post-quantum cryptography.
Vaishnaw also announced that students of MNIT Jaipur will get access to Lam Research’s “Semiverse” platform, a digital twin-based semiconductor fabrication and training ecosystem. The platform will enable students to study semiconductor chip structures in 3D, understand manufacturing processes and simulate fabrication in a virtual environment.
Highlighting opportunities in the semiconductor sector, the minister said there is a demand for over one million semiconductor design professionals globally, and India is well-positioned to bridge this gap. He noted that companies such as NVIDIA, Qualcomm, ARM and AMD are already designing advanced 2 nm and 3 nm chips in India due to the availability of skilled design talent.
He added that under the government’s Chips to Startup (C2S) programme, Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools are being provided to over 323 universities. These include advanced tools from companies such as Synopsys, Cadence and Renesas.
More than 100 student-designed chips from institutions across India have already been fabricated at the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali using these tools, he said, encouraging students to make full use of the facilities.
The minister further announced the setting up of an Artificial Intelligence Lab at MNIT Jaipur, which will provide advanced computing infrastructure and tools for research and innovation. The lab will be connected with the IndiaAI mission network.
He also highlighted ongoing work by IIT Jodhpur in deepfake detection technology.
Later, Vaishnaw, along with Rajasthan Minister of State for Energy Heeralal Nagar and MLA Gopal Sharma, inaugurated a Makers Lab at MNIT Jaipur. The facility will provide hands-on training opportunities in software and hardware technologies, including sensors, embedded systems, computing devices and electronics systems. PTI AG MPL MPL
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