CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has begun laying the foundations for quantum technologies, with the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission (TNSPC) constituting a working group to frame a dedicated quantum strategy, TNSPC member secretary Sudha Ramen said.

Speaking at the second edition of the Chennai Economic Summit on Saturday, hosted by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) in collaboration with TNSPC, Ramen said the proposed strategy would move beyond narrow applications such as quantum communication to focus on building a wider ecosystem spanning education, research and early-stage capability development.

“Quantum cannot be treated as a standalone technology,” she said. “If it is going to shape the future, the real question is whether our students and future workforce are being exposed to it early enough.” The strategy, she added, would place particular emphasis on education –beginning at the school level – to demystify frontier concepts and prevent them from being seen as the preserve of a small pool of specialists.

Unlike conventional digital technologies, quantum computing and related fields draw heavily on physics and chemistry rather than computer science alone, creating a pedagogical challenge. To address this, the working group has brought in domain experts to help design simplified learning material that can make the subject accessible to a broader student base.

Institutions such as IIT Madras – one of four centres under India’s National Quantum Mission – are expected to play a supporting role in shaping the state’s approach.