1 November 2026 • 5 min read
If you build in quantum computing, secure communication, sensing or materials, the National Quantum Mission (NQM) is the main public programme in India. It is a research mission first, and a startup programme second. This page sets out the money, the targets, the four hubs, and what the government says about startups. It also lists what we could not confirm, so you know what to check before you write an application.
The Union Cabinet approved the National Quantum Mission on 19 April 2023 at a total cost of Rs. 6003.65 crore, running from 2023-24 to 2030-31. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) implements it. A PIB report of 8 April 2026 dates the mission's launch to October 2024, so most of the delivery work is still ahead.
The Cabinet note says the mission would help communication, health, financial and energy sectors, as well as drug design and space applications.
The mission sets four technical goals:
| Area | Target as published |
|---|---|
| Quantum computing | Intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years, on platforms such as superconducting and photonic |
| Quantum communication | Satellite-based secure links between ground stations over 2000 km within India, and inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km |
| Sensing and metrology | Magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems, and atomic clocks for timing, communication and navigation |
| Materials and devices | Superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials, plus single-photon and entangled-photon sources |
Progress report: in April 2026 PIB said a 1,000-km quantum key distribution network had been demonstrated, against the mission's 2,000 km target over eight years. The technology came from QNu Labs, a startup the mission supports. If you sell security or networking products to banks, telecom or defence, that is the nearest-term part of the mission to watch. Our page on quantum key distribution for banks covers the buyer side.
The mission runs through four Thematic Hubs, each hosted by a leading academic or national research institution:
The Quantum Computing hub is the Foundation for QC Innovation, a not-for-profit Section-8 company set up by IISc Bengaluru. The PSA page also reports a network of 43 institutions in all (32 lead institutions, 7 member institutions and the hubs), with 152 researchers from those institutions across 17 states and 2 union territories working in 14 technical groups.
The hubs are meant to generate new knowledge through basic and applied research and to promote R&D in the areas mandated to each.
For a founder, the practical point is that the hubs are where startup calls are run. The PSA page says rolling calls to support startups are under way through the four hubs.
Three statements are on the record:
The two counts line up: 17 in total, nine of them added most recently. PIB names the nine newest as Sense-XT, ORVISSEMI, QuBeats, Quantum AI Global, bloq, GDQ Labs, Quantum Biosciences, Bumble Bee Instruments Pvt. Ltd., and SAS Qute Electronics Pvt. Ltd. If you sell into quantum sensing or photon detection, that list is a quick map of who else is funded in your space.
PIB also reports that QNu Labs, the company behind the 1,000-km demonstration, is a startup supported under the mission and focuses on quantum-safe cybersecurity. The report says the technology is meant to work across challenging terrain, including underwater and underground networks, and expects uses in defence, financial systems and critical infrastructure.
We could not open the DST startup guidelines (the PDF link returned an error) or the DST call page. This page therefore gives no ticket size, equity term or eligibility test for the startup calls. Third-party articles quote figures, but a blog is not a source for a funding term. Read the call text on dst.gov.in before you plan around any number.
This page reports public statements and is not legal or financial advice; check any call's terms with a professional before you apply.
The Cabinet approved Rs. 6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31. That is for the whole mission, not only for startups.
Both the PSA page and a PIB report of 8 April 2026 give 17 startups.
The target is intermediate-scale machines with 50-1000 physical qubits in eight years. We did not find a verified qubit count for a delivered machine on the official pages we read, so we do not quote one.
The PSA page says rolling calls are being run through the four thematic hubs.