Bengaluru startup secures major funding to build India’s quantum chip

A Bengaluru-based tech startup has secured significant investment to accelerate development of India’s first quantum-chip initiative, marking a major advance in the country’s deep-tech ambitions. The funding supports hardware, software and manufacturing scale-up under the national quantum mission.

Introduction
The tech startup in Bengaluru has obtained fresh capital to push ahead with a quantum-chip development project, with the main keyword “quantum chip India” appearing naturally. The announcement reflects India’s wider strategic push in quantum hardware, linking to the National Quantum Mission (NQM) and the deep-tech ecosystem in Karnataka.

Subhead: Context of quantum funding and India’s hardware ambition
India’s quantum computing and hardware sector has been gaining momentum under the NQM, which aims to build quantum processors, quantum-secure communication networks, and 2,000-km quantum links by the end of the decade. While much attention has been on software and services, hardware fabrication and quantum-chip design remain nascent in India, making this Bangalore startup’s move noteworthy. For example, Karnataka announced a ₹1,000-crore quantum mission to build a $20 billion quantum economy by 2035.

Subhead: The startup and its quantum-chip roadmap
The Bengaluru-based startup, identified as QpiAI (founded in 2019 by Dr Nagendra Nagaraja) focuses on integrating AI and quantum computing. It recently announced the launch of a full-stack 25-qubit system (QpiAI-Indus) and has set a roadmap to develop a 64-qubit quantum chip codenamed “Kaveri”. While earlier funding rounds secured about $32 million for quantum hardware and software development. The current story indicates that this startup has now secured further funding (though the “$100 m” figure should be treated with caution due to lack of public verification of that exact number).

Subhead: Why a quantum chip matters for India’s tech sovereignty
Building a quantum-chip (or quantum processor) domestically is a strategic step because it supports quantum computing, quantum-safe encryption and advanced simulation capabilities. With increasing global competition and export restrictions in quantum hardware, India’s ambition to design, fabricate or at least assemble quantum chips positions it for future competitiveness. The flip-chip integrated 64-qubit processor (“Kaveri”) is claimed to enhance qubit connectivity and lower error rates. For the startup ecosystem and defense/industry linkages, this hardware capability helps move beyond purely algorithmic quantum computing to full-stack integration.

Subhead: Challenges ahead and realistic timelines
Despite the promise, quantum-chip development remains extremely challenging. Qubit coherence, error-correction, cryogenic cooling and scale-up are major bottlenecks globally. The startup itself claims its 25-qubit machine has coherence times of 30 µs (T1) and 25 µs (T2) and gate fidelities around 99.7 % single-qubit and 96 % two-qubit. But peer-reviewed metrics and independent benchmarking are still limited. Commercial availability of the 64-qubit chip is slated for 2026. For India, supply-chain dependence, manufacturing infrastructure and talent scarcity are impediments. The startup’s funding raise is a needed step, but realizing large-scale quantum hardware and ecosystem will take years.

Takeaways

• A Bengaluru startup has achieved significant funding and roadmap clarity to develop India’s first quantum-chip hardware (64-qubit and beyond) under the National Quantum Mission.
• Domestic quantum-chip capability supports India’s technological sovereignty and positions the country in global quantum competition.
• While promising, hardware-scale quantum remains nascent and faces challenges of coherence, error-correction and ecosystem build-out.
• Investors and industry should view this as a long-term strategic play rather than immediate commercialisation; timelines to 2026-2030 prevail.

FAQ
Q1: What exactly is a quantum-chip or quantum-processor?
A quantum chip (or processor) is hardware that manipulates quantum bits (qubits) using quantum phenomena (superposition, entanglement), typically at cryogenic temperatures. It enables computations beyond classical capabilities for specific problems.
Q2: Does this mean India has built a quantum computer fully domestically?
India’s startup launched a full-stack 25-qubit system and is targeting a 64-qubit chip, but full domestic fabrication, ecosystem and scale equivalent to global leaders remain work in progress.
Q3: What is the role of the National Quantum Mission (NQM)?
NQM is a government initiative to promote quantum technologies—computing, communication, sensing, materials—through infrastructure, research funding and commercialization. Both hardware and software projects are supported.
Q4: When might quantum-chips become commercially relevant in India?
Commercial relevance for select enterprise or research use-cases (e.g., materials science, logistics) may emerge mid-to-late decade (2026-2030). Broader commercialisation still needs further scale-up and ecosystem maturity.