Insider Brief
- BRICS nations claim India as one of their own, but the country seems reluctant to establish permanent roots in the BRICS quantum ecosystem.
- An Indo-Western quantum collaboration makes sense because it matches strengths and opportunities.
- Indian talent and research acumen in quantum would strengthen the Western quantum ecosystem, while offering new, robust markets for India.
Recently, China and Russia announced that they successfully tested quantum communication over a distance of 3,800 kilometers, using secure keys transmitted by China’s quantum satellite. Although no peer review research is — or is expected to be — made available, the satellite could give the nations a fully secure, unhackable link of communications.
Recently, the Eurasian Times is reporting that India — one of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) — was invited to join this quantum communication project.
As last year’s the Future Technologies forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he expected to discuss with “Indian partners, particularly in cutting-edge computing technology, data processing, storage, and transmission technologies.”
The partnership would benefit the China-Russia project greatly. The country’s quantum communication research is advanced — and these capabilities are growing.
While the invite appears to be rejected by India because of suspicions about China, according to the Eurasian Times, the news should be a reason for concern among the rapidly emerging quantum ecosystem in Western states. In the rapidly evolving world of quantum computing, more and deeper partnerships and collaborations with India would not just beneficial; they will be imperative.
As nations across the globe race to harness the transformative power of quantum technology, India stands out as a critical partner for the Western quantum ecosystem. The reasons for this are many, ranging from geopolitical significance to an abundant talent pool, technological prowess and more.
Geopolitical Significance
India’s strategic position in the global quantum community is as obvious as it is — seemingly — ignored. With its growing economy, political stability and strategic location, India is a pivotal player in global affairs. For Western countries, partnering with India in quantum computing could be not just a technological collaboration but a geopolitical strategy.
India would offer a counterbalance to other dominant forces in the quantum realm, particularly China, which is aggressively advancing its quantum capabilities. The West could serve as a counterbalance to China for India, as well.
An Indo-Western quantum alliance would foster a more diversified and balanced global quantum landscape, reducing the risk of a single-nation monopoly in this critical field.
A Rich Talent Pool
India’s greatest asset in the quantum journey is undoubtedly its talent. The country has a vast reservoir of young, talented, and highly skilled professionals in STEM fields. The Quantum Insider’s Intelligence Platform lists more than 100 universities, government entities, research instiutions, companies and investors centered around India.
Indian universities and research institutions are churning out world-class scientists, engineers and programmers, many of whom are already contributing significantly to global tech giants and research labs. In the jigsaw puzzle of developing quantum supply chains, the biggest missing pieces for growing quantum startups is the lack of trained, skilled professionals.
By integrating this talent pool into the Western quantum ecosystem, there is an opportunity to accelerate innovation and development.
Additionally, such integration would provide Indian professionals with international exposure and opportunities, further enhancing their skills and contributions.
Enhancing Technological Capabilities
India has been making strides in quantum computing and related technologies.
The Indian government’s significant investments in quantum research under initiatives like the “National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NM-QTA)” reflect a commitment to this field. By partnering with Western nations, India can leverage their advanced research facilities, funding, and expertise, leading to a synergistic relationship.
This collaboration would not only aid in the development of cutting-edge quantum technologies but also ensure that these advancements are grounded in diverse perspectives, leading to more robust and versatile solutions.
Economic Implications
The economic benefits of a robust Indo-Western partnership in quantum computing are immense.
Quantum technology is poised to revolutionize industries from cybersecurity to healthcare, finance, and logistics. By collaborating, both India and Western countries can tap into new markets, foster innovation, and drive economic growth. For India, it would mean an influx of foreign investment, job creation, and an opportunity to position itself as a leader in the quantum sector.
It’s likely that India would have access to commercial opportunities in the West that they would not have in a Russia-China partnership.
Cultural and Educational Exchanges
Such partnerships often extend beyond mere technological collaborations. And these collaborations could benefit quantum science, in general.
Increased Indo-Western collaborations could pave the way for cultural and educational exchanges, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse viewpoints and practices. Joint research programs, academic exchanges, and collaborative projects between Indian and Western universities would enrich the educational experiences of students and researchers alike.
This cross-pollination of ideas is invaluable in a field as dynamic and interdisciplinary as quantum computing.
Perhaps, as a side note, Western universities, too, are facing cratering demographic issues that will affect enrollments. Indian talent could help shore up some of the damage of these shifting trends in student enrollment.
Security and Strategic Autonomy
In a world increasingly defined by digital threats, quantum computing holds the key to unparalleled advancements in cybersecurity. An Indo-Western partnership in this domain would enhance collective security capabilities, particularly in encryption and data protection.
In addition, for India, such collaboration offers a path to strategic autonomy. By developing its quantum capabilities, India can ensure its national security, protect its data sovereignty, and reduce dependence on other nations for critical technologies.
India’s Quantum Strengths
When it comes to quantum strengths, India offers a buffet table of solid and innovative research output and entrepreneurship in many areas of the quantum industry and is leveraging quantum computers to explore key use cases. Just a few examples:
General Impact and Applications: Quantum computing is seen as a key driver for advancements in various fields such as medications, machine learning, cybersecurity and climate change, with significant investment and initiatives like India’s quantum mission aiming to develop a 50-qubit computer (Khan, Dalawai, & Nagachandan, 2020).
Enhancement of Artificial Intelligence: The integration of quantum computing with AI is expected to significantly boost the capabilities of research activities globally (Mehta, Paharia, Singh, & Salman, 2019).
Renewable Energy Applications: Research explores the utilization of quantum computing for industrial applications, particularly in the renewable energy sector (Rajawat et al., 2022).
Sustainable Development in IT Industry: Quantum computing is recognized for its potential to revolutionize the Indian IT industry, contributing to sustainable development and employment generation (Chatterjee, 2018).
Quantum Information Theory and Quantum Computation: Papers explore various aspects of quantum information theory and its applications in computation and communication (Pati & Agrawal, 2012).
- Healthcare Applications: Quantum computing is being explored for applications in healthcare, such as diagnosing diabetic retinopathy more accurately and rapidly (S et al., 2022).
Challenges and Drawbacks
Obviously, the benefits of such a partnership are multifaceted — from geopolitical advantages to technological advancements, economic growth, and beyond. However, it may seem like a simplistic rundown of advantages. There are, of course, concerns. Adding more pieces to an already complex ecosystem offers just one more point of failure. Security risks for the broad Western quantum community could be exposed as well.
Understanding those concerns, there is a growing acknowledgement that the world stands on the brink of the development of quantum technology, for good and ill. The collaboration between India and Western nations could very well be the catalyst that propels us into a new era of technological prowess and innovation.
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