Tech Mahindra and I-HUB QTF Partner to Advance India’s Indigenous Trapped-Ion Quantum Computing Capabilities

2026-08-07 10:13:40 Technology

159

Pune, 7th August, 2026: Tech Mahindra (NSE: TECHM), a leading global provider of technology consulting and digital solutions to enterprises across industries, announced a partnership with I-HUB Quantum Technology Foundation (I-HUB QTF), a technology hub hosted by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, to accelerate the development of India's indigenous trapped-ion quantum computing capabilities. I-HUB QTF is developing a full stack 20 qubit quantum computer based on trapped-ion platform.

As part of the partnership, Tech Mahindra and I-HUB QTF will develop middleware for a trapped-ion quantum computer. The project is anticipated to be completed by December 2026, with commercialization activities expected to begin thereafter. This middleware layer enables seamless communication between the trapped-ion quantum hardware and its underlying control electronics, supporting efficient execution of quantum workloads. Leveraging its expertise in engineering and advanced technologies, Tech Mahindra will help build a scalable software foundation for the trapped-ion quantum computing platform.

The partnership aims to create end value by accelerating access to indigenous quantum infrastructure to Indian researchers, startups, students, enterprises and strategic sector innovators. This enables the users to experiment, build skills and develop application in areas such as drug discovery, logistics, cryptography and defence.

As quantum compute technology is starting to take shape in commercial forms, Tech Mahindra is playing a leading role by helping to make this technology available in India in partnership with I-Hub.

Nikhil Malhotra, Chief AI & Innovation Officer, Tech Mahindra, said, "Quantum computing has the potential to open new possibilities for enterprises, research and strategic sectors. To unlock this potential for India, we need robust indigenous capabilities that combine advanced research with scalable engineering. Through this partnership with I-HUB QTF, we are combining its deep scientific expertise and Tech Mahindra's engineering excellence to help accelerate India's trapped-ion quantum computing ecosystem and create future-ready solutions."

Quantum computing is poised to amplify AI by solving highly complex computational problems beyond the capabilities of traditional systems. As India continues to strengthen its sovereign AI capabilities, indigenous quantum infrastructure will play an important role in accelerating research, fostering innovation and enabling the development of next-generation enterprise applications. This platform is expected to support research, algorithm development, quantum machine learning (QML) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC), while serving as a valuable training environment for researchers, students, startups and technology professionals.

Kunj Tandon, Chief Executive Office, I-HUB QTF, said, "Quantum Technologies are at the cutting edge of research and strategically important for the country. Effective partnerships between industry and academia are necessary to move quantum technology from the lab to market. This requires experience of product development in deep tech. By partnering with Tech Mahindra, we bring in a strong experience of developing engineering software. Such Industry-Academia partnerships will create a strong quantum ecosystem for the country."

I-HUB QTF is advancing indigenous trapped-ion quantum computing technology in India. When ready, the trapped-ion quantum computing facility will be opened up for access to Indian community for industrial and academic usage. This facility will significantly enhance the quantum computing capability of India.

About I-HUB Quantum Technology Foundation (I-HUB QTF)

I-HUB QTF was established through the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST). To strengthen India's quantum ecosystem I-HUB QTF is mandated to develop and translate technology to productization, develop human resources and incubate and support start-ups. I-HUB QTF works effectively in partnership with state and central government agencies as well as academic and industrial organizations.

About Tech Mahindra

Tech Mahindra (NSE: TECHM, BSE: 532755) offers technology consulting and digital solutions to global enterprises across industries, enabling transformative scale at unparalleled speed. With 146,000+ professionals across 90 countries, Tech Mahindra provides a full spectrum of services including consulting, information technology, enterprise applications, business process services, engineering services, network services, customer experience & design, AI & analytics, and cloud & infrastructure services. It is the first Indian company in the world to have been awarded the Sustainable Markets Initiative's Terra Carta Seal, which recognizes global companies that are actively leading the charge to create a climate and nature-positive future. Tech Mahindra is part of the Mahindra Group, founded in 1945, one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies.