Is Quantum Computing Ready for Real-World Impact? w/ Professor Amlan Chakrabarti

Quantum computing is advancing rapidly—but is it actually useful outside research labs yet? This talk will take a practical look at where things stand today, separating real progress from hype. We will touch on what quantum computers can currently do well (and where they still fall short), particularly in areas like optimization, chemistry, and materials. A key focus will be the challenge of translating academic research into real-world applications—what’s working, what isn’t, and why.

Professor Chakrabarti will also briefly compare how India and the U.S. are approaching quantum innovation—from funding and policy to industry collaboration—and what each ecosystem can learn from the other. Finally, he will outline what governments can realistically do to support commercialization, from enabling infrastructure to building talent pipelines.

Prof. Chakrabarti is a Professor and Director of the A.K. Choudhury School of Information Technology at the University of Calcutta, and Visiting Professor in Artificial Intelligence at IIT Kharagpur. His research spans Medical Image Analysis, AI-driven Clinical Decision Support, VLSI design automation, Natural Language Processing, Explainable AI, and Quantum Computing, with a focus on translating foundational advances into real-world impact across healthcare, engineering, and cyber-physical systems. Over nearly two decades, he has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, holds six patents, and has supervised 24 PhD scholars. His contributions have been recognized through honors, including the DST BOYSCAST Fellowship, JSPS Invitation Research Award, and the Hamied Visiting Professorship at the University of Cambridge. He is a Distinguished Speaker of both the IEEE Computer Society and ACM, a Fellow of the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology, and holds leadership roles across several premier professional and academic bodies worldwide.

Schedule
6:00-6:30 Mingle and consume food/drinks you have ordered from the lovely venue.
6:30-7:00 Sayash's prepared remarks
7:00-7:30 Audience Q&A
7:30-8:00 Free mingling