Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and quantum technology are set to become the three primary pillars of future development. Emphasising this, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the state must focus on building a massive pool of skilled workforce in these sectors.
He announced that the state will effectively implement the Maharashtra Quantum Technology Mission, aligned with the National Quantum Mission, to build a robust quantum ecosystem.
The Chief Minister shared these insights virtually during the valedictory session of the Quantum Technology Faculty Development Programme, organised by the I‑Hub Quantum Technology Foundation.
Chief Minister Fadnavis noted that the world is evolving rapidly, transitioning from a data‑based economy to an era of high‑speed data processing. He said AI, semiconductors, and quantum technology will play a decisive role in future global competition.
“Just like in the Information Technology (IT) sector, India must capitalise on its skilled workforce to secure global leadership in the quantum domain,” the CM added.
While the Central Government has allocated approximately Rs 6,000 crore for the National Quantum Mission, the Maharashtra Government is running its own independent state‑level mission.
The roadmap for talent creation includes Phase 1: training 500 expert instructors/faculty members and Phase 2: developing a workforce of over 5,000 quantum‑trained professionals, the Chief Minister mentioned.
Highlighting the far‑reaching impact of this technology, the Chief Minister added that quantum technology is poised to revolutionise engineering, medicine, space exploration, industry, and defence. Because the employment landscape is expected to transform radically over the next few years, empowering both students and faculty with tomorrow’s technology today is vital.
“Maharashtra is leveraging the collective strength of top‑tier premier institutions already building capabilities in this sector, including IISER (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research), C‑DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing), IIT Bombay, COEP (College of Engineering Pune) and VNIT (Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology),” said the CM.
The Chief Minister concluded by congratulating the participating institutions, experts, and professors.
He specifically lauded the newly developed training curricula, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and the dedicated AI chatbots ‘Chandra’ and ‘Surya’ for their role in simplifying core quantum concepts for students.
–IANS
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