Amaravati Quantum Reference Facility | 15 Apr 2026

Source: TH

In a significant boost to India's deep-tech ambitions and indigenous technological capabilities, Andhra Pradesh has inaugurated India’s first open-access Amaravati Quantum Reference Facility (AQRF). 

• AQRF: The twin centers Amaravati 1S (SRM University, Neerukonda) and Amaravati 1Q (Medha Towers, Gannavaram), were officially launched on World Quantum Day, coinciding with the celebration of 100 years of quantum science. 
  • The AQRF was developed domestically in collaboration with premier national institutions, including the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), DRDO, and IIT Bombay, alongside tech startups Qubitech and Qbit Force. 
• Core Objective: The open-access nature of the facility allows researchers and deep-tech companies to test and certify indigenous quantum hardware, significantly advancing India's vision of self-reliance in quantum technology. 
• Sectoral Applications: This infrastructure will provide computing power capable of revolutionizing critical fields such as drug discovery, agriculture, and climate modelling. 
• Andhra Pradesh’s Broader Deep-Tech Vision: The state aims to develop Amaravati into a ‘Quantum Valley’.  
  • Additional tech hubs include a Space City in Tirupati, a Drone Hub in Orvakal, and Semiconductor and Med-tech clusters in Anantapur and Visakhapatnam. 
• World Quantum Day: The World Quantum Day is celebrated on 14th April, a reference to 4.14, the rounded first digits of Planck’s constant: 4.1356677×10−15 eV⋅s, a product of energy and time that is the fundamental constant governing quantum physics.