Mphasis Receives Tech Pioneer Award at IIT Madras Technology Summit 2026
Recognition linked to support for quantum research centre established at IIT Madras
Mumbai: Technology services company Mphasis has received the Tech Pioneer Award at the IIT Madras Technology Summit 2026, held recently in New Delhi. The recognition was awarded for the company’s support in establishing the Mphasis Centre for Quantum Information, Communication and Computing (MCQuICC) at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
The initiative is part of a five-year Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership between the Mphasis F1 Foundation and IIT Madras, spanning from 2022 to 2027. The collaboration focuses on advancing research and innovation in quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum information sciences in India.
As part of the partnership, a dedicated quantum research laboratory has been established at IIT Madras to support research and experimentation in quantum technologies.
According to information shared at the summit, the collaboration has contributed to research activities, innovation projects, and talent development through MCQuICC. The centre has published multiple research papers and worked on optimization challenges with industry applications, including aircraft maintenance scheduling, electric vehicle charging optimization, and passenger re-routing.
The initiative has also supported skill development programmes through IITM CODE, helping students from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) gain exposure to quantum computing and related technologies.
Speaking on the recognition, Deepa Nagraj, Senior Vice President and Global Head of ESG and CSR, Sparkle Innovation Ecosystem and Communications at Mphasis, said the award reflects the ongoing collaboration between Mphasis and IIT Madras in advancing quantum technology research and talent development.
Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean – Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras, said the partnership has contributed to strengthening industry-academia collaboration in frontier technologies and supporting the growth of India’s quantum research ecosystem.
The programme is aligned with the objectives of India’s National Quantum Mission and focuses on bridging academic research with practical applications. Through the Centre for Quantum Information, Communication and Computing (CQuICC), researchers are working in areas such as Quantum Information and Quantum Machine Learning (QML), with applications in transportation logistics, financial risk analysis, molecular chemistry, pipeline defect detection, and protein folding.
The initiative currently supports more than 20 researchers and has contributed to over 30 patents and research publications, according to information released by the organisations. It has also facilitated access to advanced Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) for research related to quantum error correction, shot estimation, and quantum algorithms.
In addition to research activities, the programme supports scholarships for PhD scholars and post-doctoral researchers and offers online certification programmes aimed at expanding access to education in quantum technologies.
The recognition highlights ongoing collaboration between industry and academia in developing quantum research capabilities and supporting emerging deep-technology initiatives in India.
