India has launched a Rs. 8,000 crore national mission to gain supremacy in quantum computing, which can give the country exceptional powers to secure its systems from any kind of cybersecurity threat.

The mission is being planned by the Department of Science and Technology, a media report said, adding that India will be building a 50 Qubit ‘Quantum Computer’ in 4-5 years as part of the mission, which will include “building solutions for quantum communications, storage, and encryption”.

Quantum computing is a work in progress at various labs spread across Russia, United States, China, and India. The very fast computing power given by the next-generation technology has the potential to disrupt traditional businesses and challenge our cyber-security.

It also has the capability to unlock answers to some of humanity’s most pressing questions that are presently unsolvable with current computing technologies. For example, it could lead to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and the discovery of new pharmaceuticals, etc.

Quantum technologies hold the key to offer ultra-secure communications, sensors of unprecedented precision and computers that are much more powerful than any present-day supercomputers to complete a given task. In short, these technologies are destined to fundamentally change our lives.