Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and the University of Chicago held their inaugural kick-off meeting at the U-Chicago Center in New Delhi, marking the beginning of their collaborative efforts. IIT Bombay is now an international partner of the prestigious Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), which is an intellectual hub for the science and engineering of quantum information, anchored by the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Northwestern University. The two-day workshop saw participation from faculty and students at both institutes, along with invited members from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), industry representatives from companies like Applied Materials, IBM, C-DoT, and TCS, and delegates from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The two-day meeting, with a welcome note from the Director of IIT Bombay, Prof. Shireesh Kedare, featured in-depth technical discussions on various quantum technologies and explored potential areas of collaboration. Participants deliberated on the logistics of their partnership, including the establishment of student exchange programs, workshops, and summer schools. They also addressed the challenges associated with intercontinental exchanges, proposing potential action items. Additionally, there were discussions on creating a larger ecosystem in collaboration with industry and government agencies, which included participation from SINE and Research Park of IIT Bombay.