In a significant push towards technological sovereignty and global leadership, India is establishing four state-of-the-art quantum fabrication and central facilities. These facilities, valued at Rs 720 crore, will be set up across three Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) ā Delhi, Bombay, Kanpur ā and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru. The initiative, under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), aims to bolster India's capabilities in quantum sensing, computing, and materials, positioning the nation among select global leaders in next-generation quantum technologies.
Further strengthening India's innovation landscape, Wipro has announced a strategic alliance with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID). This collaboration will focus on cutting-edge research in frontier technologies, including quantum computing, advanced AI models, secure digital infrastructure, and autonomous networks. The joint program will bring together senior faculty, researchers, scientists from IISc, and Wipro's experts to accelerate breakthroughs in areas like agentic AI, embodied AI, and quantum safe solutions.
India's ambitions in space exploration continue to soar. Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla recently affirmed India's progress towards its human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, and reiterated the nation's goal to land an Indian on the Moon by 2040. He emphasized that these missions align with the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision and are expected to significantly boost India's industries and R&D sectors. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has an ambitious roadmap, planning a total of 10 orbital missions in 2025, including a manned LVM-3 launch for the Gaganyaan program. One of the key upcoming launches includes the CMS-03 communication satellite scheduled for November 2, 2025. By March 2026, ISRO aims to execute seven major space missions, encompassing uncrewed Gaganyaan flights, commercial satellite deployments, and technology development missions.
The broader research and development ecosystem in India is also receiving renewed focus. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the Centre's establishment of a ā¹1 lakh crore Research & Development Fund, designed to strengthen India's research landscape and encourage innovation among students. However, concerns regarding research fraud in India's higher education sector have emerged, with discussions on how the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools might exacerbate the issue. To address this, the 2025 UGC draft regulations are aiming to shift the focus from mere publication counts for faculty promotions to a more comprehensive evaluation of academic standards.