Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have inaugurated the Quantum Research Lab at IISc, marking a significant step towards strengthening India’s capabilities in quantum technologies and advanced semiconductors.
Established with SSIR’s CSR support, the lab supports research across qubit characterisation, cryogenic electronics, quantum-device reliability, single-photon sources and detectors, and the integration of advanced semiconductor materials with quantum systems.
The lab has also catalysed research on 2D-material-based quantum devices and emerging device concepts under cryogenic conditions within IISc’s Department of Electronic Systems Engineering.
This initiative reflects Samsung and IISc’s shared vision of building indigenous capabilities in frontier technologies by bringing together advanced research infrastructure, academic expertise and talent development.
A key objective of the Quantum Research Lab is to extend the benefits of this advanced infrastructure beyond IISc. Through structured training and research exposure, the facility aims to provide researchers and students from institutions across India with opportunities to engage with quantum technologies and specialised experimental infrastructure that may otherwise be inaccessible due to high capital and operational requirements.
This approach is designed to help build a broader national talent pool capable of contributing to India’s emerging quantum technology ecosystem.
The collaboration also strengthens the intersection between quantum technologies and advanced semiconductor research, creating opportunities to explore new materials, devices and architectures that could contribute to future technology platforms.
“Semiconductors and quantum technologies are well poised to be the next wave of innovation, making talent and research capabilities in this domain critical to India’s technology ambitions,” said Rajesh Krishnan, managing director of SSIR.
“Our partnership with IISc demonstrates how industry and academia collaboration can create lasting impact by bringing together advanced infrastructure, education and access. We are proud to see the Quantum Research Lab reach this milestone and enable our national ecosystem to engage in research that will shape our future,” said Krishnan.
The IISc–SSIR collaboration will also focus on selected learning modules on quantum materials and devices, cryogenic electronics, and qubit technologies as part of another skill-building programme — The India Semiconductor Workforce Development Program (ISWDP), which addresses critical gaps in semiconductor workforce capabilities across device physics, process development, modelling, simulation, characterisation, and reliability.
“Industry-academia partnerships create the greatest impact when they build lasting infrastructure while expanding access to knowledge. Samsung’s support has enabled IISc to strengthen both frontier quantum research and semiconductor workforce development,” said Govindan Rangarajan, director of the IISc.
“These initiatives complement IISc’s larger role in advancing national capabilities in quantum computing and next-generation semiconductor technologies,” said Rangarajan.
This integrated approach aims to create a wider national talent pipeline while strengthening advanced research capabilities at IISc – connecting the journey from classroom learning and simulation to semiconductor experimentation and frontier quantum research.
“Our vision was to build an end-to-end capability – from semiconductor & quantum education at the national scale to advanced research infrastructure. ISWDP is enabling thousands of learners to gain practical exposure to semiconductor workflows, while the Quantum Research Lab is advancing research in 2D-material-based quantum devices such as qubits and single photon detectors,” said Mayank Shrivastava, chair of the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering at IISc.
“Our next step is to push the boundaries of the frontier quantum and semiconductor technologies using next generation material platforms like 2D materials,” said Shrivastava, who leads the two initiatives.
The IISc–SSIR collaboration demonstrates how strategic CSR investment can contribute to a long-term investment in frontier research by combining research infrastructure, computational capacity, workforce development, and pathways to emerging technologies.
