Amritsar’s GNDU among 23 institutes to get Quantum Lab under national mission

The Department of Physics at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, has been awarded with a prestigious grant under the National Quantum Mission (NQM) to establish Quibit Quantum technology laboratory.

GNDU is among only 23 institutions across India selected under this highly competitive national initiative. With this initiative, it joins an elite group that includes IITs, IISc Bengaluru, IISER Pune, and TIFR Mumbai, all engaged in quantum technology-based research including computing, communication, and sensing.

By 2031, India is proposing to scale up the number of these laboratories to over 1000. Quantum physics is now hailed as the foundation of the modern world. It has immense potential in discovery of drugs, designing supercomputers and many more.

Professor Aman Mahajan, Head of the Department of Physics, received the award at Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, from A K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology.

A grant of Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned to establish the iQUANT Lab (Integrated Quantum Undergraduate Laboratory for Computing, Communication, Materials, and Sensing), a state-of-the-art facility aimed to provide hands-on training in emerging quantum technologies.

“The iQUANT Lab will focus on key areas such as quantum communication and optics, quantum sensing, quantum computing using IBM Quantum platforms, and quantum materials. It aims to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical implementation through hands-on training,” said Aman Mahajan, who will lead the project along with his team.

Additionally, Dr Harpreet Singh, a Physics researcher, in collaboration with teams from IIT Mandi and IISER Mohali, has also received a major research project under the National Quantum Mission.

Mahajan noted that the facility will benefit not only Physics students but also learners from multidisciplinary fields such as electronics, computer science, chemistry, and materials science, along with students from GNDU’s affiliated colleges.

Vice-Chancellor Prof (Dr) Karamjeet Singh, GNDU, said that this project will significantly strengthen the university’s academic and research infrastructure while putting Punjab on India’s deep-tech map.

“With this milestone, GNDU will advance as a leading centre for quantum education and research under the National Quantum Mission. The iQUANT Lab will provide undergraduate students with hands-on experience in quantum technologies and help build capacity for future scientific advancements,” he said.

He added that the initiative would provide technological innovation, create job opportunities for students, strengthen the university’s research ecosystem, and contribute to building a skilled workforce in advanced technologies within the state.