Chief Minister Naidu Inaugurates Open-Access Quantum Reference Facilities at Amaravati and Gannavaram

Amaravati, April 14: Andhra Pradesh took a significant stride in India's quantum technology ambitions on Monday as Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the country's first open-access quantum reference facility at SRM University in Amaravati, while virtually launching a second facility — Amaravati Quantum Reference Facility-2 — at Medha Towers in Gannavaram. The twin inaugurations, held on the occasion of World Quantum Day and the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, mark the state's emergence as India's first quantum technology hub.

The two systems — Amaravati 1S, housed at SRM University, and Amaravati 1Q, located at Medha Towers — are fully functional hardware test beds designed to enable validation, benchmarking, and certification of quantum systems under real operating conditions. Mr. Naidu described the facilities as platforms that would allow India not merely to study quantum technology, but to build, test, refine and trust it.

"For too long, India missed major global breakthroughs in hardware and products. Quantum gives India a once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop hardware," the Chief Minister said, adding that the state government remained committed to producing an indigenous quantum computer from Amaravati in the near future. "There is no dearth of funds for innovation," he asserted.

Underlining the broader social potential of the technology, Mr. Naidu said that when quantum computing accelerates drug discovery, citizens would have access to better medicines, and when it improves optimisation, farmers would be able to enhance productivity. "Technology should empower every citizen," he said, calling for innovation to spread across society rather than remain confined to a few institutions. He also urged public universities to compete with private institutions in fostering innovation and start-up ecosystems.

A notable highlight of the project is that, for the first time in India, a quantum system has been assembled using a predominantly domestic supply chain, marking a milestone in the country's scientific self-reliance. The effort drew on contributions from several premier institutions: the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, supplied superconducting qubit processors and Josephson parametric amplifiers; the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, contributed device design and characterisation; and the Defence Research and Development Agency's DYSL unit in Pune provided quantum control electronics. Private entities including Amber Enterprises, Qbit Force, Qute Electronics, and Dimira contributed dilution refrigerator systems, precision current and voltage sources, and cryogenic wiring and interconnects respectively.

Mr. Naidu noted that his vision for a quantum facility was realised within eight months, crediting the collaborative effort of quantum scientists, hardware experts, and multiple institutions working under a unified national mission. He said the twin facilities would create opportunities not only for scientists but also for hardware engineers, cryogenic specialists, control system designers, fabrication experts, and software developers.

The event was also addressed by Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India; AP State Quantum Mission Director C.V. Sridhar; Qbit Force founder L. Venkata Subramaniam; Qubitec founder Prudhvi Pinnaka; DRDO NHTL Director General R.V. Haraprasad; and SRM University Vice-Chancellor Ch. Satishkumar, among others.

Amaravati, April 13: Andhra Pradesh State Health Minister Y. Satyakumar Yadav on Monday hailed the inauguration of two Quantum Reference Facilities in Amaravati as a historic milestone, describing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's initiative to establish the capital city as a Quantum Valley as a defining moment not only for Andhra Pradesh but for the country as a whole.

In a statement issued here, the Minister said the launch of two quantum beds by the Chief Minister on Tuesday would herald a new chapter in indigenous scientific capability and place Amaravati firmly on the global technology map. "The pace at which this has been achieved was beyond anyone's expectations," Mr. Satyakumar observed, commending the Chief Minister's resolve and unwavering commitment to the vision.

The Minister elaborated on the transformative potential of quantum computing across multiple sectors, with particular emphasis on healthcare. He noted that the technology would significantly advance medical research, enable deeper analysis of the origins and progression of diseases, and accelerate the discovery of new drugs. "This is a revolutionary development that will bring about far-reaching changes across several fields," he said.

Mr. Satyakumar credited the achievement entirely to the Chief Minister's vision and sustained effort, noting that Andhra Pradesh had become the first State in the country to reach this milestone. He also conveyed his gratitude to the Central Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with various institutions and scientists, for their cooperation and support in realising this goal. "Tuesday is a day every Telugu person can take pride in," the Minister added.

Sharp attack on Jagan Reddy

Turning to the political situation in the State, Andhra Pradesh State Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav launched a sharp attack on former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing him of pursuing a deliberate strategy to obstruct and undermine the progress of Amaravati's development.

The Minister recalled that Mr. Jagan Reddy had himself declared before the Assembly that Amaravati was the State capital, only to subsequently float the contentious three-capital proposal. He said the former Chief Minister's recent advocacy of a "Mavigan" formulation — referencing the cities of Machilipatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur — was incoherent and reflected a disturbed political disposition. "Even as the public has rejected these arguments, the former Chief Minister shows no sign of introspection. This is a curse the State has had to endure," Mr. Satyakumar said.

The Minister questioned the relevance of Mr. Jagan Reddy's sudden discovery of the three cities twelve years after the State's formation, calling it farcical. He also took strong exception to the former Chief Minister raising questions about the cost of construction materials for Amaravati, while having spent Rs. 500 crore of public money to build a private residence in Visakhapatnam. "Such conduct is thoroughly unbecoming," he said.

A word of caution for the public

Concluding his statement, Mr. Satyakumar urged the people of the State to remain vigilant and carefully observe the unfolding developments. He called on them to recognise the stark contrast between the Chief Minister's constructive efforts toward the State's development and what he described as the former Chief Minister's relentless campaign of disruption, and to exercise discernment in assessing the two.