Amaravati’s quantum computing centre is expected to be handed over to IBM by the end of October, clearing the way for installation of a Quantum System Two and commissioning by December 2026 or January 2027, Andhra Pradesh officials said. The facility is scheduled to be inaugurated in the first week of February 2027.
The centre will give Indian researchers, universities, startups, businesses and government agencies access to advanced quantum computing hardware located in the country. It is being developed as the anchor facility for the Amaravati Quantum Valley project, which brings together IBM, TCS, L&T, IIT Madras and IIT Tirupati.
The Andhra Pradesh government is building the Quantum Computer Centre on a two-acre site near the upcoming state legislature complex. The circular, two-storeyed building is expected to be ready by the end of October, after which IBM will begin moving the system into the facility.
Parts of the machine have already arrived in India following approval for shipment from the United States. The components are being sent in stages, with some already stored at IBM’s warehouse in Bengaluru, CV Sridhar, mission director of the Andhra Pradesh State Quantum Mission, told The Times of India.
“After we got the approvals for the shipment, the shipment process began in Sept from the US. The systems are being shipped part by part, and some components have already landed at IBM’s Bengaluru warehouse,” Sridhar said.
According to Sridhar, testing has already been completed in the United States. Once the remaining components reach Amaravati, basic testing and commissioning will be carried out at the centre. The installation and commissioning process is expected to take no more than three months, with additional time kept as a buffer.
IBM Research India director and IBM India and South Asia chief technology officer Amith Singhee said the company intends to install its most advanced available quantum processor. The exact configuration has not yet been finalised. Current IBM systems operate with approximately 120 to 150 or more qubits per chip, although the final system at Amaravati will depend on the configuration selected.
Unlike conventional computers, which process information through bits representing zero or one, quantum computers use qubits that exploit quantum properties for specific types of calculations. The technology remains largely at the research stage, but it is being studied for possible applications in drug discovery, materials research, optimisation and other complex problems.
The Amaravati system will remain owned and operated by IBM. Indian researchers, academic institutions, startups, enterprises and government agencies will access it through a service model rather than owning the machine directly.
Andhra Pradesh has already begun work on a programme to develop 100 quantum computing use cases. The initiative is drawing potential problems from government departments, industry and startups. One proposed application will examine whether quantum optimisation can improve the deployment and routing of the state’s 731 ambulances operating under the 108 emergency service. Four startups are participating in that effort.
Other proposed applications include electricity distribution, factory scheduling, drug discovery and materials research. The facility’s next formal milestones are the expected building handover by the end of October, the arrival and installation of the remaining equipment, commissioning in December or January, and the planned inauguration in February 2027.
