Rigetti Computing Secures Major Quantum Partnership with India’s C-DAC in $8.4 Million Deal
Rigetti Computing India Quantum Collaboration
The quantum computing landscape, Rigetti Computing India P L, a subsidiary of the Nasdaq-listed Rigetti Computing, Inc., has announced a $8.4 million (£6.6 million approximately) purchase order to deliver a state-of-the-art quantum computer to India. The Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), India’s top research and development agency under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will get the 108-qubit supercomputer.
With the system expected to be deployed at C-DAC’s Bengaluru center in the second half of 2026, this historic deal represents a significant milestone in India’s technology agenda.
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A Technical Leap: The 108-Qubit System
The proprietary chiplet-based architecture developed by Rigetti forms the core of the new system. Scaling quantum systems to the extraordinarily high qubit counts required for fault-tolerant quantum computing and error correction is thought to be made possible by this modular method.
Rigetti makes use of superconducting qubits, in contrast to many of its rivals. The company prefers this modality because of its higher operational speeds, clear scaling route, and maturity. The gate speeds of current Rigetti systems range from 50 to 70 nanoseconds, which the company says is roughly 1,000 times quicker than other modalities like ion traps or neutral atoms.
The 108-qubit system being shipped to India is a member of the Cepheus family of quantum computers. The company’s patented control electronics and multi-chip processor technology are integrated into these devices, which have a qubit count ranging from 36 to 108. By tiling four 9-qubit chiplets together, Rigetti was able to launch the Cepheus-1-36Q in 2025, becoming the first company in the industry to construct a multi-chip quantum processor.
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Strategic Integration into India’s Supercomputing Infrastructure
The acquisition is a strategic integration into India’s current high-performance computing (HPC) architecture rather than just a hardware buy. The open and flexible architecture of Rigetti was expressly created to support hybrid classical-quantum supercomputing, according to Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, CEO of the company.
A key element of C-DAC’s Hybrid HPC-Quantum Mission is this integration. C-DAC hopes to give its community of scientific and industry partners practical R&D opportunities by putting the system on-site. The mission is focused on:
- Creating accelerators with quantum technology.
- The creation of a national reference center for quantum computing.
- Developing the required software stacks and middleware, as well as quantum communication.
- Using hybrid HPC-quantum solutions in important national scientific and industrial fields.
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Expanding the Rigetti-C-DAC Partnership
The two entities’ developing relationship culminates in this order. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in September 2025 by Rigetti and C-DAC to investigate the co-development of hybrid systems designed for government labs and academic institutions.
As national governments prioritize sovereign control over their quantum capabilities, there is an increasing demand worldwide for on-premises quantum computers. Although Rigetti still provides its Quantum Cloud Services (QCS) platform to international industry and research customers, a sizable portion of its business strategy involves selling real hardware to domestic labs. At Fab-1, which it refers to as the first integrated and dedicated quantum device production facility in the industry, the company produces its own hardware.
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C-DAC: Driving India’s Technological Advancement
One distinctive aspect of India’s information technology policy involvement is the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). Beyond just conducting research, its goals also include:
- Socio-economic growth: Using ICT to advance society.
- Dissemination of knowledge: Using technology to get beyond linguistic obstacles.
- Intellectual Property: Turning knowledge into commercial prospects.
By utilizing Rigetti’s 108-qubit system, C-DAC is putting itself in a position to react to market demands and worldwide advancements in fundamental technology fields.
Challenges and Forward-Looking Risks
Rigetti has warned stakeholders about the inherent uncertainties of the quantum business, even though the announcement represents a success for the company. The company’s capacity to accomplish technology milestones and manage global supply chain circumstances are two of the many variables that could affect the planned deployment in late 2026.
The Rigetti’s forward-looking remarks, the overall development of the quantum market, the availability of government funding, and the maintenance of connections with suppliers are all necessary for the success of such projects. The system’s ultimate delivery and functionality may be impacted by variables like international trade ties, growing inflation, and technology advancements.
In conclusion
It Rigetti and the scientific community in India, the $8.4 million order is a major turning point. The partnership between Rigetti’s superconducting technology and C-DAC’s supercomputing infrastructure intends to position India at the forefront of the hybrid classical-quantum era as the world approaches practical quantum advantage.
Using gate speeds that far surpass many of the available market alternatives, the Bengaluru center is expected to become a center for high-performance quantum R&D when it is deployed in the second half of 2026.
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