PM Modi Unveils India’s First Quantum Chips and Indigenous CAR-T Cancer Therapy at ESTIC 2025

New Delhi, November 5, 2025: In a historic moment for Indian science and innovation, Prime Minister  Narendra Modi today unveiled three groundbreaking technologies at the Emerging Science, Technology & Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025:

1. QSIP – India’s first quantum security chip

2. 25-qubit QPU – the nation’s first quantum computing chip

3. CAR-T Cell Therapy – India’s first indigenous cancer cell therapy developed by Indian innovators

These innovations mark a new era in India’s pursuit of technological self-reliance and global leadership in healthcare, computation, and quantum technologies.

Among the innovations presented was NexCAR19, developed by ImmunoACT, a spin-off from IIT Bombay, representing India’s first indigenously developed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. Supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), this therapy represents a major step in India’s biotech capability.

Globally recognized as a breakthrough in treating advanced cancers, CAR-T therapy uses genetically modified immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells. NexCAR19, termed India’s first “living drug,” makes gene and cell therapy affordable and accessible while maintaining the highest global standards of safety and efficacy.

ImmunoACT was nurtured under the BioNest initiative of BIRAC, receiving funding, mentorship, and technical assistance during its incubation at the Society of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay.

In 2021, the TMC–IIT Bombay team began clinical trials for NexCAR19 at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Hospital, with partial support from DBT and BIRAC under the National Biopharma Mission. The ongoing trials for pediatric patients at Tata Memorial Centre continue to show promising outcomes, with ImmunoACT serving as the manufacturing partner.

To scale up this breakthrough, DBT has also funded ImmunoACT under the Biomanufacturing initiative of the BioE3 Policy to establish a 200L GMP-grade lentiviral vector and plasmid manufacturing platform. This infrastructure will support the production of gene delivery systems capable of treating up to 1,000 patients annually.

The facility will integrate advanced bioreactor technologies for high-density cell growth and continuous vector production—enhancing yields, efficiency, and affordability of gene-based therapies in India.

The Department of Biotechnology is also accelerating both early and late-stage translational research to develop next-generation CAR-T therapeutics for various cancers, including Multiple Myeloma, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and Glioblastoma. Efforts are being directed towards tackling both liquid and solid tumors, as well as reducing toxicity associated with immunotherapy.

Alongside the medical innovation, PM Modi also unveiled India’s first 25-qubit Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) and QSIP – Quantum Security Integrated Processor, signifying India’s rapid progress in the field of quantum computation and secure communication. These technologies are expected to drive computational sovereignty and strengthen the country’s quantum ecosystem under the broader goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.