Qubit by Qubit: Why Quantum Computing is a Big Deal and Why India Needs to Act Fast - Times of India

We encourage you to review our Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy. By continuing, you agree to the Terms listed here. In case you want to opt out, please click "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in the footer of this page. We won't sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously. Interested in blogging for timesofindia.com? We will be happy to have you on board as a blogger, if you have the knack for writing. Just drop in a mail at toiblogs@timesinternet.in with a brief bio and we will get in touch with you. Last December, Google made a huge announcement about its quantum computer chip, Willow. It did something amazing: it solved a problem in just 5 minutes that would take the world’s most powerful supercomputer 10 million billion years to solve! While this might sound cool, experts said the problem Willow solved wasn’t something we’d actually use in the real world. But now, Willow is back in the spotlight because it solved a much bigger challenge. This time, it calculated the structure of a molecule 13,000 times faster than the best supercomputer out there. This is what’s called “quantum advantage” — when a quantum computer is faster, cheaper, or more efficient than a regular computer. This is a **huge deal** because it means we’re getting closer to having quantum computers that could change the world in big ways. Scientists believe quantum computers could be used to help cure diseases, make better medicines, or even unlock secrets about things like nuclear energy. But there’s also the possibility they could be used to make super-powerful weapons, which could be dangerous. Big tech companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft are already working hard on quantum computing. Even the Chinese government has spent $15.2 billion to develop its own quantum computer, which is a bit slower than Google’s Willow but still super powerful. For some perspective, the first quantum computer ever built, back in 1998, had only 3 “qubits” (the basic units of quantum information). Today, Willow has 105 qubits — that’s a **huge** leap! If you doubled the number of qubits as many times as technology has improved, you’d end up with an insane amount of money, like 5,071 billion-billion-billion rupees! So, where does India stand in this race? Well, in April, India’s top quantum computer had only 25 qubits. While India is trying to catch up with a National Quantum Mission that hopes to reach 50 qubits in the next 5 years, we’re still a little behind compared to other countries. One reason is that we don’t spend enough money on research and development. Right now, India’s entire budget for R&D is less than 1% of its total economy, and the private sector doesn’t invest enough. To stay in the quantum race, India needs to invest more in research, and the private sector needs to pitch in. If India doesn’t act fast, we might get left behind in this important technology. Interested in blogging for timesofindia.com? We will be happy to have you on board as a blogger, if you have the knack for writing. Just drop in a mail at toiblogs@timesinternet.in with a brief bio and we will get in touch with you.