During a visit to Switzerland last year, a delegation from the Karnataka government spent time inside some of the world’s most advanced research ecosystems. The idea was to understand how a country with limited but dedicated quantum funding has built strong startups, working products, and global collaborations.
Back in Bengaluru, those learnings are beginning to shape the state’s quantum roadmap. Karnataka already has funding, research institutions, and a growing startup base. What it lacks is a consistent pathway from lab work to market-ready products.
Arindam Ghosh, a professor in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), says the state is not adopting any single template. It is borrowing ideas and adapting them to local realities. “It’s too early to say which Swiss model we are going to adopt,” he clarifies in a conversation with AIM.
Prof Ghosh is the Co-chair of the Quantum India Bengaluru initiative as well and was recently appointed as the Chairman of the Karnataka Quantum Task Force, a specialised body that will oversee the implementation of quantum policies.
In 2022, Switzerland launched the Swiss Quantum Initiative to consolidate quantum research and innovation, as well as establish competitive research cells to build an ecosystem. Earlier this year, it released the Swiss Quantum Strategy, investing $250–380 million to build translational infrastructure and fund deeptech startups.
Switzerland’s advantage, Prof Ghosh says, comes from consistency rather than scale. The country has invested in basic science for decades, building a strong base for future technologies.
That approach has created a cycle. Strong research attracts talent, which leads to better products and more investment. This long-term approach has enabled high-quality research, product development, and the concentration of global talent.
Karnataka is now testing out a similar cycle, but with a faster timeline and more targeted interventions.
Curriculum Before Computer
The first lesson from Switzerland is not about hardware or funding but about its people.
Prof Ghosh says the ecosystem works because it trains talent across levels, from students to policymakers. This collaboration centres on education, translational research, and building an ecosystem that converts research into products.
“You need to train the students who are at an early stage as soon as possible, then the faculty and finally the policymakers,” he says.
Switzerland’s approach to quantum is also shaped by how it structures research itself. Prof Ghosh points to the Open Quantum Institute as a central node that works to democratise access to quantum technologies globally. Unlike more focused national strategies, Switzerland follows what he describes as a “very broad research model”, where multiple components of quantum are explored within a single ecosystem rather than in silos.
Karnataka has started building this pipeline. Quantum technology courses for BTech and MTech students are being introduced across institutions. Faculty development programmes are also underway. Policymaker training, however, remains a work in progress.
“How do you create a well-defined course for policymakers? I think it’s going to happen in a collaborative manner across different countries,” he describes.
This education push aligns with one of the four pillars of the state’s quantum roadmap, alongside infrastructure, research, and startups. The roadmap aims to build a $20 billion quantum economy in Karnataka by 2035, backed by an outlay of ₹10,000 crore.
Global Ties and Questions on IP
While collaboration with Switzerland offers opportunities, it also raises questions around intellectual property and co-development. “IP sharing is going to become a key discussion point, whether it is Switzerland or some other country,” Prof Ghosh remarks.
He outlines a possible model involving joint work between academic institutions and industries from both countries. He proposes co-developing a product for which academic institutions from both sides collaborate with their respective industries in a coordinated, simultaneous manner.
Such arrangements will require clear agreements on ownership and collaboration structures.
While much of the state’s roadmap is still evolving, Prof Ghosh says it is not starting from scratch. “We already have a significant mobilisation on the four pillars,” he notes.
Last month, Bengaluru-based startup QpiAI announced the deployment of QpiAI-Indus, a 25-qubit superconducting quantum computer at IIIT Dharwad.
The main gap, he adds, remains in manufacturing and services, which will need targeted strengthening in the next phase. The Quantum Research Park at IISc is expected to support this next phase by providing physical infrastructure and operational support.
Karnataka’s approach is also expected to avoid direct competition with other states. Instead, Prof Ghosh indicates that future policy may focus on defining complementary roles across regions. The aim is to create a “win-win situation” wherein different states specialise in specific areas and collaborate.
Research Translates to Revenue
Commercialisation is the other missing piece. Switzerland offers a working example of how to do this. “Switzerland has done that repeatedly in the past. You take the R&D, and make a device or a product, and then start creating startups,” Prof Ghosh identifies.
He points to institutions like the Applied Computing and Mechanics Laboratory at EPFL, Lausanne, as examples of translational platforms that bridge academia and industry. Karnataka is attempting to build similar systems, though it is still early.
The state’s advantage lies in funding. Unlike Switzerland, which has limited federal funding for quantum, Karnataka has seed capital through state and national missions. The challenge is to use it effectively.
Replicating Switzerland’s success will also require identifying gaps beyond research. Prof Ghosh points to the need to study “stop gaps” and supply chain bottlenecks that prevent ideas from becoming products. This also means supporting startups beyond early-stage funding.
He also stresses that research-to-product systems cannot function like traditional academic setups. “Even if you have an infrastructure to translate research, it operates as professionally as a corporate atmosphere,” he notes, underlining the need for process-driven, outcome-oriented environments.
Another key takeaway came from studying large science ecosystems like CERN, and how a project that began as fundamental science has evolved into a broader economic engine. “Now it’s building billions of dollars every year,” Prof Ghosh observes.
Q-City Bets on Co-Location
Karnataka’s biggest structural bet is the Q-City, underway in Hesaraghatta. It aims to create a networked ecosystem that avoids academic silos. “We would like to solve that problem by putting the services, innovation, and manufacturing under the same roof,” Prof Ghosh comments.
Q-City will not be limited to one campus but is envisioned as a global entry point into India’s quantum ecosystem. The initiative will offer access to talent while connecting companies to research, venture capital, and policy networks in one place. This, he argues, could make it easier for global firms to co-develop products in Bengaluru than in many other locations.
“It has to be a decentralised process because every institution has its own strength,” he adds.
This networked approach also addresses a deeper issue. India’s advanced tech sectors often struggle with a limited pool of specialists. Expanding participation across institutions could help scale that base.
Moreover, the state’s task force is expected to prioritise both immediate wins and longer-term bets, identifying low-hanging fruit and areas that require sustained investment.
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