Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh is set to become the focal point for India’s next-generation deep tech ecosystem, with the state granting its approval for India’s first dedicated Quantum and Artificial Intelligence University campus in Amaravati.
Spearheaded by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), the university will be fully funded by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). At Rs 730 crore, the 8.5-acre campus will be built in the Capital Region
Development Authority (CRDA), and the initiative is expected to bridge the global deep-tech industry’s demands, officials in Andhra Pradesh said.
The CM decided to establish the university at the CRDA Authority meeting, which he chaired with other officials at the state secretariat Thursday, according to the official statement.
This institutional milestone could hold multifaceted significance for regional governance, industry development, and student career trajectories in the state as the campus will host dedicated Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and startup co-working spaces. The CoE would also collaborate with premier institutions like IIT Tirupati and IIIT Sri City, a government press release read.
The origin of this deep-tech university was outlined in the Quantum Tech policy that was launched in November 2025 in Amaravati. Called the Amaravati Quantum Valley Declaration, Andhra released its five-year Quantum Computing Policy, following which Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the physical foundation stone for the Amaravati Quantum Valley project in February 2026.
Shortly after, on 14 April 2026 (World Quantum Day), the state inaugurated India’s first open-access Quantum Reference Facilities.
Minister for IT, RTGS, and HRD Nara Lokesh, said on X at the time, “From vision to qubits, Andhra Pradesh is building India’s quantum future. India’s first indigenous, open-access quantum computers are here, marking the rise of Amaravati Quantum Valley as a global hub. The future is here, in Amaravati—built in India, open to India, for the world.”
The new university will focus on quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and other emerging deep-tech areas, integrating education, research, skilling, innovation and entrepreneurship, the release detailed.
Until the campus is built, the academic and skill-development programmes will be conducted at existing facilities in the Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur.
“NIELIT is a Deemed-to-be University (Distinct Category) under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 and the UGC Regulations, 2023. It is an autonomous scientific society under MeitY and the only university under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, with 56 centres and more than 700 accredited institutes across India,” the official statement read.
This infrastructure will enable students, researchers, start-ups and industry to collaborate on next-generation technologies and take innovations towards commercialisation.
The project will train approximately 8,250 learners over five years, including 1,650 through formal degree programmes and 6,600 through non-formal skilling and certification programmes. The annual intake is expected to reach approximately 3,913 learners by the fifth year.
The campus will offer undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, diploma and executive programmes in areas including Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication and Security, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Data Science, Semiconductor Fabrication, Chip Design, VLSI, ATMP, Embedded Systems and High-Performance Computing.
Connecting Andhra Pradesh to the deep-tech economy, NIELIT proposes collaborations with IIT Tirupati, IIIT Sri City, Andhra University and JNTU institutions for academic programmes, research and technology development.
The initiative aligns with the National Quantum Mission, IndiaAI Mission and India Semiconductor Mission, while supporting the broader objectives of Digital India, Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: India’s tech ambitions need private sector investment in R&D. Budget 2026 holds the key