Amaravati, Apr 14: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday launched a quantum reference facility aimed at building India’s “first sovereign hardware ecosystem” and accelerating indigenous manufacturing of advanced computing systems.
The CM inaugurated the Amaravati Quantum Reference Facilities (AQRF), comprising Amaravati 1S at a private college and Amaravati 1Q at Medha Towers, on the occasion of World Quantum Day.
“The launch of the country’s first quantum reference facility marks a major milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in advanced technologies and positions the state as a hub for quantum innovation,” Naidu said while addressing the gathering after the launch.
Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for encouraging the establishment of Amaravati Quantum Valley as part of India’s “first open-access” quantum facilities.
He said the quantum hardware testbeds would play a crucial role in testing and certifying quantum devices and would strengthen the country’s capabilities in emerging technologies.
The initiative will provide researchers, industry players, and students with access to quantum systems, enabling them to explore, develop, and innovate in the field of quantum technologies, the CM said.
He remarked that just as electricity drove industrial growth and the internet powered the digital era, quantum technology will drive modern innovation, and nations leading in this field will shape the future.
The CM said the facilities were developed within eight months following a directive to build quantum systems using indigenous technology and asserted that India no longer needs to depend on other countries in strategic sectors.
He noted that the initiative aligns with the state’s long-term vision, including the Swarna Andhra 2047 roadmap, where deep technology is a key pillar.
The TDP supremo also highlighted large-scale skilling initiatives, stating that the government aims to train 45 lakh people in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and cybersecurity, in collaboration with several educational institutions.
The CM said innovations driven by quantum technologies are expected in areas such as drug discovery, agriculture, defence, logistics, climate modelling, and secure digital transactions.
Developed under the Amaravati Quantum Valley initiative, the systems are India’s “first indigenously built” open-access quantum computers, designed, assembled, and tested domestically with a supply chain spanning multiple institutions.
The launch is expected to position Amaravati as a “major global hub for quantum technologies” and the anchor node of a future national network of quantum facilities.
The Amaravati Quantum Reference Facility is India’s national quantum hardware testing ground, enabling validation, benchmarking, and certification of quantum components under real operating conditions, according to an earlier press release.
The facility addresses a “major global gap”, where access to quantum hardware remains restricted, expensive, or opaque, limiting India’s ability to test and develop its own components.
AQRF will function as a fully instrumented platform where researchers, startups, and industry can directly access, observe, and test components such as processors, cryogenic systems, amplifiers, and control electronics.
The initiative is built on a predominantly domestic supply chain, with around 85 per cent of components manufactured within India, marking the “first time a full-stack quantum system” has been assembled indigenously, the press release said.
The facility also aims to break global monopolies in critical subsystems such as dilution refrigerators, control electronics, and precision hardware.
The project has been executed through a consortium consisting of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and others, which acted as the system integrator.
The manufacturing of quantum systems requires a reference facility where components can be tested at extremely low temperatures, close to minus 273 degrees Celsius, the lowest possible temperature in the universe, to activate qubits and ensure performance, Chief Minister’s Secretary P S Pradyumna said earlier.
Unlike imported systems that operate as closed “black boxes,” AQRF allows full visibility and hands-on access, enabling students and researchers to study and innovate directly.
The facility will also support workforce development, benchmarking standards, and certification frameworks, while enabling government and industry procurement of validated quantum components.
The state government is also focusing on large-scale skilling initiatives and plans to develop a dedicated quantum hardware ecosystem to support manufacturing and innovation, he said.
