Hesarghatta to be India’s first quantum city: CM
Bengaluru: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar inaugurated the Quantum exhibition at Science Gallery Bengaluru on Friday and declared it freely accessible to residents of Bengaluru, people across Karnataka and every visitor to the city.
Speaking on the occasion he described Bengaluru as an expanding hub of the India–United States technology and innovation partnership and appealed for the establishment of a full-fledged American consulate in the city. “More than 700 American companies, over 10,000 start-ups and more than ten lakh technology employees already operate in Bengaluru, making it India’s largest partner city for United States technology and innovation,” he stated.
The Chief Minister stressed that a permanent diplomatic office, not merely a commercial desk, is required so that cooperation can widen across technology, innovation, research, defence, space and aviation.
Karnataka stands ready to issue every state-level clearance without delay and will work closely with the United States embassy and related agencies.
He also requested the assistance of United States Ambassador Sergio Gor in building partnerships with leading American educational and innovation centres for training, research and fresh inventions. Science Gallery Bengaluru remains closely woven into this vision. Professor Arindam Ghosh, quantum educational advisor, chairs the Karnataka Quantum Task Force, while Dr. Jahnavi Phalke serves on the Q-City advisory board.
“As a founding partner of Science Gallery, the Karnataka government offers complete support for its mission of bringing science to the public. Karnataka has already advanced several steps in quantum technology. Supported by the Karnataka Quantum Mission, Bengaluru continues to grow as a centre for global technology firms and new enterprises. Construction of India’s first Quantum City is under way at Hesarghatta and will become a major cluster of research laboratories,” Shivakumar said.
“The commitment extends beyond the capital. Under the Local Economy Accelerator Program the state has established a Quantum Artificial Intelligence and Computing Centre of Excellence at IIIT Dharwad, the first such facility outside Bengaluru. Future economic strength will rest on knowledge infrastructure rather than buildings and roads alone,” he said.
“Karnataka seeks deeper partnerships with centres of excellence, incubators and research parks in major United States technology hubs so that local start-ups gain global guidance, modern research facilities, capital and access to international markets. Quantum science will continue to mould computing, communication, health and advanced manufacturing; the government accepts the duty of drawing youth into active participation,” he concluded.