IBM has announced a partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to deploy India's largest quantum computer at the Quantum Valley Tech Park in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. The installation will feature IBM's Quantum System Two, equipped with a powerful 156-qubit processor.

"This places India on the quantum innovation map, where there are only a few countries who have taken that step," said Sandip Patel, managing director of IBM India and South Asia. The collaboration aims to accelerate algorithm discovery and provide Indian developers with access to cutting-edge quantum technology.

Quantum computers leverage the principles of quantum mechanics to process information in ways traditional binary computers cannot. This technology can efficiently solve complex problems that would be practically impossible for conventional computing systems to handle within reasonable timeframes.

Patel believes India is well-positioned to excel in this field. "This is going to be a great area of strength for India, given the country's strong foundation in software engineering, computer science and high-performance computing," he noted.

The partnership will focus on developing applications for real-world challenges across multiple sectors. These include fraud detection and risk management in finance, drug discovery in healthcare, and optimization of vehicle routing and scheduling in logistics.

While specific investment figures weren't disclosed, Patel mentioned that TCS and the Andhra Pradesh government will support the usage costs of the quantum system. IBM will continue training people in quantum computing, working specifically with TCS personnel and members of the quantum valley team on system utilization.

Patel views quantum computing as complementary to artificial intelligence. "Quantum and AI are two sides of the same coin, where quantum can drive efficiency in computing and AI can accelerate discovery and creation of quantum," he explained. He also cautioned that education about appropriate use cases remains crucial: "This should not be like a hammer looking for a nail. This is for problems that traditional computing cannot solve."

The project comes as tech companies worldwide face challenges accessing advanced computing hardware. Recently, Chinese firms including Tencent and Alibaba purchased Nvidia GPUs from ByteDance to support AI development, as US export restrictions on advanced semiconductor technologies have tightened for Chinese companies.