Call for Application
We invite Indian innovators to design and build a compact, rugged, fiber-coupled 532 nm / 520 nm / 561 nm laser (80–100 mW) for NV-centre magnetometers. The laser must work reliably in the field.
You get 100 days to build it. We then test all submitted lasers independently, and the two best receive prize money. The full target specifications are in Template 1 of the Submission Templates.
NV-centre magnetometers – the quantum sensors capable of detecting magnetic fields down to a few hundred picotesla — depend on one deceptively hard component: the laser that drives them.
We’re calling on Indian innovators, startups, and research teams to design and build a compact, rugged, fiber-coupled laser at 532 nm, 520 nm, or 561 nm, delivering 80–100 mW, built to survive outside the lab.
This isn’t a simulation or a paper design. It’s a working prototype, built to spec, tested independently, and benchmarked against the best in the country.
Every portable quantum magnetometer needs a light source that’s stable, efficient, and field-ready. Today, that component is often bulky, power-hungry, or imported. Solve it, and you unlock a critical building block for India’s quantum sensing ecosystem from defect detection to GPS-denied navigation.
This is your opportunity to engineer the part that makes the whole system possible. Stand a chance to collaborate with the brightest minds in India’s quantum ecosystem and associate with the National Quantum Mission.
Who should apply
- Anyone in India: individuals or teams, proprietorships, partnerships, LLPs, private or public limited companies, MSMEs, startups, large manufacturers, and academic or R&D institutions. Joint applications are allowed, but one lead applicant must be named.
How it works
- 100 days. That's your build window - from concept to a working prototype in your hands. Independent testing. Every submitted laser goes through the same rigorous, unbiased evaluation. Two winners. The top two performing lasers take home prize money and recognition as builders of a genuinely field-ready quantum photonics component.
Rewards
Two winners · ₹5 Lakh each.
Only lasers that meet all mandatory specifications in testing can win. If fewer than two qualify, fewer awards may be given. Awards are subject to applicable taxes (TDS).
How to Apply
- Applications will only be accepted through the application form, the link for which has been given at the end of this section.
- Please read the guidelines carefully and keep all the required documents ready for submission in the application form.
Made-in-India rule
- Design, development, assembly and testing must be done in India by the applicant.
- Imported lasers, laser heads, OEM modules or re-branded products are not allowed. Using them means disqualification.
- Access to documents for verification of the claim, and access to the manufacturing facility, shall be facilitated upon request.
Guidelines
- All Intellectual Property (IP) generated during the development will be owned by the applicant.
- Applicant will bear all development costs.
- Follow laser-safety practices.
- Periodic progress reports as requested by the committee.
- The evaluation committee’s decision is final.