Quantum Sensing and Healthcare: Charting India's Next Frontier

Quantum sensing can revolutionise healthcare by enabling early disease detection, precise diagnostics, and customized treatment plans. It detects subtle changes in fields, improving diagnoses for various diseases.

- Ravi Puvvala, MD, Quantum Biosciences Private Limited, India

Technological advances in controlling the world of the ultra-small, made over the past few decades, have brought to fruition a field called “Quantum Sensing.” While it has applicability in a wide variety of problems, medical-diagnostics and healthcare-innovation would be revolutionised. Quantum sensors are ultrasensitive devices, capable of detecting the faintest of biological signals—be they magnetic, electric, thermal or even mechanical. They could enable game-changing applications in real-time diagnostics by detecting or measuring phenomena within single cells that were previously undetectable.

With a strategic investment in research, infrastructure, and translational pathways, India is today presented with a golden opportunity to play a leading role in this emerging domain, radically improving healthcare outcomes and building a global leadership in healthcare technologies.

National Quantum Mission: Catalysing Quantum Healthcare

India's National Quantum Mission (NQM), anchored in T-hubs like Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, IIT Mumbai, IIT Delhi, has laid the groundwork for innovation across several domains in the field of Quantum Technology. To unlock the full potential for a revolutionary impact on healthcare, the NQM ought to give a high priority to the utilisation of quantum sensing for the biomedical field. A few example applications might include NV center-based subcellular imaging, optically pumped magnetometer (OPM)-driven brain scans, and quantum sensors for tissue oxygenation and metabolism etc. A clearly developed roadmap involving partnerships between the specialised academic establishment with leading clinics, regulatory integration, and funding for translational research could easily position India at the forefront of international players in this field.

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