Sep 29, 2026

IBM's Quantum, Post-Quantum and AI Push in India: Qiskit Course, Anderon Foundry and Spyre

IBM and IIT Madras jointly developed a no-cost online course on quantum computing, which drew 208,785 registrations across India during 2026, with over 100,000 of those coming from Andhra Pradesh, IBM reported. During SEMICON India 2026, EE Times interviewed Rahul Rao, a distinguished engineer focused on processor design at IBM's India Systems Development Lab, regarding how the company is bringing Qiskit into India's academic landscape.

Rao stated that nearly every part of IBM maintains a significant footprint in India, and that the nation holds the same level of importance as any other hub. According to Rao, IBM's Indian engineering groups cover processor design, AI accelerators, quantum computing and post-quantum cryptography, while further teams handle Power processors, storage components, Linux and certain operating systems for Power processors. IBM's consulting business is likewise heavily based in India. Rao framed this strategy as talent arbitrage instead of cost arbitrage, noting that IBM sees abundant talent in the country and aims to deploy it optimally wherever it makes sense.