Tech Mahindra Partners with IISER Pune’s I‑HUB QTF to Advance Indigenous Trapped‑Ion Quantum Computing in India

Tech Mahindra (NSE: TECHM), a global leader in technology consulting and digital solutions, has announced that it haspartnered with the I-HUB Quantum Technology Foundation (I-HUB QTF), hosted at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, to accelerate India’s indigenous trapped-ion quantum computing capabilities. I-HUB QTF is currently developing a full-stack 20-qubit quantum computer based on the trapped-ion platform.

For an uninitiated, "Trapped‑ion quantum computing" is a leading architecture where individual atomic ions are suspended in electromagnetic fields and manipulated with lasers to serve as qubits. It is considered one of the most accurate and scalable approaches to building universal quantum computers.

As part of this collaboration, Tech Mahindra and I-HUB QTF will co-develop middleware for the trapped-ion quantum computer. The project is expected to be completed by December 2026, with commercialization activities to follow. This middleware will enable seamless communication between quantum hardware and control electronics, ensuring efficient execution of quantum workloads. Tech Mahindra will leverage its engineering expertise to build a scalable software foundation for the platform.

The partnership aims to democratize access to indigenous quantum infrastructure for Indian researchers, startups, students, enterprises, and strategic sector innovators. This will allow users to experiment, build skills, and develop applications in areas such as drug discovery, logistics, cryptography, and defence.

Nikhil Malhotra, Chief AI & Innovation Officer at Tech Mahindra, stated, "Quantum computing can unlock transformative opportunities across industries and strategic sectors. To realize this potential for India, we need strong indigenous capabilities that combine advanced research with scalable engineering. Through our partnership with I-HUB QTF, we are merging scientific expertise with engineering excellence to accelerate India’s trapped-ion quantum ecosystem and deliver future-ready solutions.”

Quantum computing is poised to amplify AI by solving highly complex problems beyond the reach of classical systems. As India strengthens its sovereign AI capabilities, indigenous quantum infrastructure will be critical in advancing research, fostering innovation, and enabling next-generation enterprise applications. The platform will support algorithm development, quantum machine learning (QML), and post-quantum cryptography (PQC), while serving as a training ground for researchers, students, startups, and technology professionals.

Kunj Tandon, CEO of I-HUB QTF, added:
“Quantum technologies are strategically vital for India. Moving them from lab to market requires deep-tech product development and strong industry-academia collaboration. Partnering with Tech Mahindra brings proven engineering software expertise, helping us build a robust quantum ecosystem for the country.”

I-HUB QTF continues to advance trapped-ion quantum computing technology in India. Once operational, the facility will be opened to the Indian community for industrial and academic use, significantly enhancing the nation’s quantum computing capabilities.

Odisha & Kolkata Scientists Win $3M Breakthrough Prize, by CERN, Dubbed as 'Oscars of Science'

Eight scientists from leading research institutions in Odisha—NISER, IIT Bhubaneswar, the Institute of Physics, and IISER Berhampur—have been honored with the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, awarded by CERN.

Additionally, five scientists from Kolkata’s Bose Institute have also been recognized for their contributions to the ALICE experiment at CERN.

The Breakthrough Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in science, often called the "Oscars of Science". It recognizes groundbreaking discoveries in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences, and Mathematics, celebrating researchers who push the boundaries of human knowledge.

The $3 million prize recognizes the contributions of thousands of researchers from over 70 countries who worked on four major experimental collaborations at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) —ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb.

Among the awardees from Odisha are Bedangadas Mohanty, Ranbir Singh, Sanjay Swain, Prolay Mal (NISER Bhubaneswar), Seema Bahinipati (IIT Bhubaneswar), Aruna Kumar Nayak, Pradip Kumar Sahu (Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar), and Natasha Sharma (IISER Berhampur).

The Stars of Science at the 2025 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

The prize acknowledges groundbreaking research in particle physics, including studies on the Higgs boson, matter-antimatter asymmetry, and rare particle interactions. The award money will be used to support doctoral students, allowing them to conduct research at CERN and bring back expertise to their home institutions.

This recognition highlights India’s growing role in high-energy physics and inspires young scientists to pursue careers in fundamental research.

 

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, which is directly connected to the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics award, recognizes groundbreaking research conducted at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

CERN is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, and its experiments push the boundaries of fundamental physics, making it a key player in scientific advancements. These experiments have contributed to major discoveries, including studies on the Higgs boson, matter-antimatter asymmetry, and rare particle interactions.

Scientists from Odisha and Kolkata were part of these collaborations, earning recognition for their contributions.

The 2025 Breakthrough Prize was awarded to thousands of researchers involved in four major Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments—ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb.

The Breakthrough Prize is awarded by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, which was founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan & Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri & Julia Milner, and Anne Wojcicki.

The winners are selected by committees of previous laureates, and the awards are funded by the personal foundations of the founders. The prize recognizes outstanding contributions in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences, and Mathematics.

Indian Scientists Discover Special Nanoparticles that Capture CO2 in More Economical Way

Carbon capture and utilization are growing fields of research focusing on reducing CO₂ emissions. A recent United Nations report says that carbon capturing will no longer be an option if we have to save the planet from the increasing problem of Climate Crisis.

A group of Indian scientists at Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, has discovered a new way to synthesize new solid adsorbents for CO₂ capture and utilization. Here, Adsorption is a process in which pollutants are adsorbed on the solid surface.

For an uninitiated, Adsorbent is different from 'Absorbent' !. Adsorbent refers to a material which allows a dissolved solid, gas, or liquid to adhere to its surface. An absorbent, on the other hand, is a material which allows gases and liquids to permeate it uniformly.

Professor Rahul Banerjee’s group at IISER-Kolkata, with support from Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India under Mission Innovation program, has demonstrated a strategy to synthesize novel solid adsorbents, especially for CO2 capture and CO2 utilization.

Interestingly, this discovery of new material from IISER comes within a month after Professor Deepak Dhar of the same institute but different location (IISER-Pune) becomes first ever Indian physicist to receive the prestigious Boltzmann Medal for his contribution in the field of statistical physics.

Prof. Banerjee’s group has discovered special types of nanoparticles or microparticles which can capture CO2 in their micro and mesoporous voids.

To help you with few scientific vocabulary coming ahead in this article -- 'Zeolites' are microporous, 3-dimensional crystalline solids. And, 'Janus' particles are special types of nanoparticles or microparticles whose surfaces have two or more distinct physical properties. This unique surface of Janus particles allows two different types of chemistry to occur on the same particle.

This interestingly new materials with distinct physical properties on its surfaces have been synthesized include porous Covalent organic frameworks like Covalent Organic Framework (COF) -graphene Janus thin films, which are ultralight in weight, published in Journal of  'American Chemical Society’ , and porous covalent bonded organic nanotubes published in Nature Chemistry, while COF coated zeolite published in ‘Journal of American Chemical Society’.

The good choice of 2D graphene sheets as a grafter helped the researchers to design and create COF-graphene Janus thin films through the interactions (non-covalent) between the COF and graphene, rendering flexible porous Janus films at the DCM (Dichloromethane) -water interface.

This newly designed COF-coated zeolites could be an excellent candidate for CO2 storage in the industry due to their high surface area and increased chemical stability.

The high CO2 uptake for the COF coated zeolites, even after treatment with weak acids makes it appropriate for industrial purposes. The COFs coating prevented the degradation of zeolite structure from moisture, weak acids, and water. The CO2 uptake data for COF coated zeolite at 1 bar, 293K is 132 cc/g, supersedes the CO2 uptake data of zeolite under the same condition.

Prof Deepak Dhar from IISER-Pune Becomes 1st Indian Physicist to Receive Boltzmann Medal

Indian physicist and Emeritus Professor at the Department of Physics, IISER, Pune, Professor Deepak Dhar becomes first ever Indian physicist to receive the prestigious Boltzmann Medal for his contribution in the field of statistical physics. Prof Deepak is one of the two physicists selected for the prestigious award, the second awardee being Prof. John Hopfield from Princeton University.

The award will be given during  International Conference on Statistical Physics - Statphys 28 - to be held in Tokyo from August 8 to 12.

We are so proud to tell that Prof. Deepak Dhar (Emeritus Professor) from our Department has been chosen for the Boltzmann Medal! The Boltzmann Medal is awarded once every three years by the Commission on Statistical Physics of the @IUPAP_physics. Many congratulations Deepak! pic.twitter.com/ilTi71EBLA
— IISER Pune Physics (@IiserPphysics) February 24, 2022

The Boltzmann Medal award honours outstanding achievements in Statistical Physics. The recipient should be a scientist who has not received the Boltzmann Medal or the Nobel Prize before.

Prof Deepak is also a Senior Scientist at National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), which is the first Science Academy of India established in 1930. He is an alumnus of University of Allahabad and IIT Kanpur.

The Boltzmann Medal is awarded once every three years by the Commission on Statistical Physics of the C3 Commission on Statistical Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) at the Statphys Conference.

Prof Dhar will receive the medal for his seminal contributions to several areas of statistical physics, including exact solutions of self-organized criticality models, interfacial growth, universal long-time relaxation in disordered magnetic systems, exact solutions in percolation and cluster counting problems and definition of the spectral dimension of fractals.

To recall, in May last year, Young scientists at the IISER of Bhopal have invented 'Oxycon', an oxygen concentrator for supplying Oxygen to Covid-19 patients, at a reasonable price of under INR 20,000. Oxycon is claimed to supply 95% pure oxygen.

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, K VijayRaghavan also tweeted, saying --

Professor Dhar is one of the brightest physicists around. He shares the prize with John Hopfield, of whom the same can be said. From Allahabad University, IIT Kanpur, California University and then TIFR, he has left a great imprint in each place.

More Information at IISER website

Young Scientists At IISER-Bhopal Develop Oxygen Concentrator, Which Once approved will Cost Under ₹ 20,000

Oxycon

Young scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER), Bhopal have invented 'Oxycon', an oxygen concentrator for supplying Oxygen to Covid-19 patients, at a reasonable price. Oxycon is claimed to supply 95% pure oxygen.

At present, an oxygen concentrator device costs around Rs. 60,000-70,000 while the Oxycon is estimated to cost less than Rs 20,000, can provide 93-95 % pure oxygen with a flow rate of up to 3 litre/minute. The device is developed using the open-source technology and material.

Oxycon is said to be portable, customizable and easy to deploy device. It has a compressor that takes ambient air and passes it through columns having material named zeolite under an optimized pressure. Two such columns are used in alternate cycles and electronically controlled valves are used for this purpose to make it automatic and provide a continuous oxygen supply.

Mitradip Bhattacharjee, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, IISER Bhopal, said --

The material, zeolite, absorbs nitrogen from the air and throws it back to the atmosphere, hence the concentration of oxygen increases in the air at the outlet. The valve controls are achieved using a programmed micro-controller-based circuit.

"This system prototype has already been developed and compared with the commercial systems currently available at the market and we have received positive outcomes. We are actively looking for industrial collaborations to further improve and manufacture the system at a larger scale and to deploy it after necessary testing and approvals," Mr Bhattacharjee added.

The device has been developed by Dr Bhattacharjee along with Dr Venkateshwar Rao, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Dr P.B. Sujit & Dr Santanu Talukdar from EECS Department, IISER-Bhopal.