Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have inaugurated a Quantum Research Lab on the IISc campus in Bengaluru. The lab opened on 15 October 2026. It aims to strengthen India’s research in quantum technologies and advanced semiconductors. SSIR supported it through its corporate social responsibility funding. The partnership was first announced in October 2023.
The lab will focus on quantum devices, cryogenic electronics and advanced materials for future technologies. Cryogenic electronics are circuits that work at extremely low temperatures.
What the Lab Will Hold
Quantum technologies draw on how matter behaves at atomic and subatomic scales. Conventional computers use bits that are either zero or one. Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits. They use quantum effects to carry out some calculations differently. Building reliable qubits, and the systems that control them, is still a major challenge.
The lab will work on qubit characterisation, cryogenic electronics, quantum-device reliability, and single-photon sources and detectors. Single photons are individual particles of light. They can carry quantum information, so they matter for quantum communication and other uses.
Researchers will also study two-dimensional (2D) materials. These are extremely thin and can behave differently from their bulk forms. The work includes building and studying quantum devices made from 2D materials under cryogenic conditions.
Wider Access and Skills
The partnership aims to open specialised research infrastructure to students and researchers beyond IISc. High equipment and running costs often limit access to such facilities. The lab will address this through structured training and research opportunities.
The lab also links quantum research with the India Semiconductor Workforce Development Program (ISWDP). The programme targets skill gaps in device physics, process development, modelling, simulation, characterisation and reliability. Selected modules will cover quantum materials and devices, cryogenic electronics and qubit technologies.
What the Leaders Said
Prof Mayank Shrivastava is chair of IISc’s Department of Electronic Systems Engineering. He leads both the lab and the workforce programme. He said the aim is to build capabilities across semiconductor education and advanced research. The workforce programme is giving thousands of learners practical exposure to semiconductor workflows, he said. The new lab is advancing research into 2D-material-based quantum devices, including qubits and single-photon detectors.
Rajesh Krishnan, managing director of SSIR, said semiconductors and quantum technology are poised to be the next wave of innovation. That makes talent critical to India’s technology goals, he said. Industry–academia collaboration can create lasting impact through infrastructure, education and access.
IISc Director Prof Govindan Rangarajan said Samsung’s support has helped IISc strengthen frontier quantum research and semiconductor workforce development. It complements IISc’s wider role in building national capabilities in quantum computing and next-generation semiconductors.
The initiative comes as India works to build domestic expertise in semiconductors and quantum technologies.
