IIT Jodhpur · October 2026

3rd Qiskit
Fall Fest 2026

A two-weekend journey through quantum computing, quantum technologies and the people building what comes next.

WHEN2nd & 3rd weekends
of October 2026
WHEREIIT Jodhpur
Hybrid sessions
FINALEChallenges
& Hackathon
0
1
+
STATE VECTOR|ψ⟩ = α|0⟩ + β|1⟩
QUANTUM INFORMATION✦QISKIT✦INDIA'S QUANTUM FUTURE✦BUILD · COMPUTE · DISCOVER✦QUANTUM INFORMATION✦QISKIT✦

Quantum is no longer
just a theory.

The 3rd Qiskit Fall Fest at IIT Jodhpur brings together students, researchers, educators and industry voices for a hands-on introduction to the quantum ecosystem.

Across lectures, tutorials, expert sessions and an end-of-fest hackathon, the program moves from fundamentals to real applications. No mysticism required. Just physics, computation and a suspicious number of matrices.

2026 graphicFall Fest graphicQiskit graphicComputing graphic

Eight ways to
enter the quantum world.

From first principles to industry perspectives, each session opens a different door into the quantum stack.

01

Quantum Computing & Qiskit

Start with the essentials of quantum information, circuits and Qiskit, then put the ideas to work.

02

Quantum Technologies in India

Understand the emerging Indian quantum ecosystem, its research directions and opportunities.

03

Post-Quantum Cryptography

An expert view of cryptography designed for a world where quantum attacks are a practical concern.

04

Hybrid Quantum Algorithms

Explore the quantum + HPC workflow and how classical and quantum resources can work together.

05

Quantum Machine Learning

See how quantum circuits can learn from data, and where quantum models may complement classical machine learning.

06

Quantum Finance

Explore how quantum algorithms approach problems in finance, from portfolio optimisation to risk analysis.

07

Industry Talks

Hear from practitioners working across the rapidly evolving quantum technology landscape.

08

Challenges & Hackathon

Finish by building. Solve a challenge, write quantum code and turn curiosity into something executable.

Learn → Explore
→ Build

The event is designed as a progression. You do not need to arrive knowing quantum mechanics. Humanity has survived worse prerequisites.

01

Learn

Quantum information, computing and Qiskit fundamentals.

02

Explore

India's quantum ecosystem, security, HPC and applications.

03

Connect

Researchers, experts and industry voices in conversation.

04

Build

Challenges and the final hackathon turn ideas into code.

Quantum-themed sticker cloud

Two weekends.
One quantum journey.

Both weekends are locked in. Speaker profiles and talk abstracts will be added as they are confirmed.

WEEKEND 01

Foundations → First Code

10 – 11 October 2026
SAT10OCTDAY 01
11:00AM
InauguralS01

Inaugural Session & Introduction to Quantum

Jyoti Faujdar
Jyoti FaujdarEricsson Research

Quantum researcher at Ericsson Research working across quantum computing and quantum information. Her work includes distributed quantum computing and quantum communication, and she is also involved in quantum education and community building through QIndia.

ABSTRACT

Quantum computing utilizes the counterintuitive principles of quantum mechanics to process information in ways classical computers never could. While these systems promise breakthroughs in simulating complex chemistry, breaking classical encryption, and tackling massive computational challenges, building stable quantum hardware remains a profound engineering challenge. In this session, we will demystify quantum computing and break down core concepts like qubits, superposition, and entanglement into simple, intuitive ideas. We will explore how quantum computers work, what types of problems they can solve, and where the industry stands today. No prior background in quantum physics or advanced mathematics is assumed.

4:00PM
Coding SessionS02

Qiskit 101

Haris Ansari
Haris AnsariQuantum AI Global

Quantum Research Engineer at Quantum AI Global, with hands-on work in quantum algorithms, quantum machine learning and Qiskit-based implementations. His recent work includes variational quantum classifiers, quantum convolutional neural networks and dynamic-circuit approaches.

ABSTRACT

Qiskit 101 introduces the building blocks of quantum programming through a practical, hands-on progression from the first qubit to complete circuits. The session begins with qubits, gates, measurements and circuit construction, then moves into state preparation, simulation and execution on quantum backends. Designed for beginners, it gradually introduces intermediate concepts through simple examples so participants can start building and running their own quantum programs with IBM Quantum and Qiskit.

SUN11OCTDAY 02
11:00AM
SessionS03

Quantum Machine Learning

Jayakumar Vaithiyashankar
Jayakumar VaithiyashankarAnuthantra Private Limited

Founder and CEO of Anuthantra, an IBM Quantum Educator and Qiskit Advocate Mentor. He works at the intersection of quantum computing education, workforce training and practical Qiskit-based learning, and has extensive experience helping students and professionals enter the quantum field.

ABSTRACT

Quantum Machine Learning: Exploring the Intersection of Quantum Computing and AI. Quantum Machine Learning (QML) brings together the emerging capabilities of quantum computing with the powerful techniques of artificial intelligence and machine learning. This introductory session will provide students with an accessible overview of how quantum principles such as superposition, entanglement, and quantum circuits can be leveraged to develop new approaches to machine learning. The session will introduce the fundamental concepts of QML, explain how quantum and classical machine learning differ, and provide an overview of key approaches such as Variational Quantum Circuits and Quantum Neural Networks. Through simple examples and demonstrations using IBM Quantum and Qiskit, participants will gain a practical understanding of how quantum computing can be explored for AI and machine learning applications. The session is designed for beginners and will conclude with an overview of the learning pathways, tools, and opportunities available for students to begin their journey in Quantum Machine Learning.

4:00PM
Panel DiscussionS04

Quantum in India: Industry Perspective

Voices from India’s quantum industry

Kapil Jaiswal
Kapil JaiswalQuantum AI Global & QuLabs
Thirumalai Manimaran
Thirumalai ManimaranQpiAI
Sumit Kumar
Sumit KumarQNu Labs
Mithan M R
Mithan M RDeloitte
ABOUT THE PANEL

Four people working in India’s quantum industry share what the field looks like from the inside. Between them, the panel spans quantum startups working on hardware, software and quantum-safe security, as well as technology consulting. The discussion covers how each of them found their way into quantum, the problems Indian quantum companies are working on today, how the ecosystem is growing under the National Quantum Mission, and which skills students should start building now across physics, software and engineering. The session closes with an open Q&A with the panelists.

12 OCT · 23:59 ISTHackathon prompts released
Hackathon guide ↓
WEEKEND 02

Algorithms → Security → Research

17 – 18 October 2026
SAT17OCTDAY 03
11:00AM
SessionS05

Hybrid Quantum Algorithms

ABSTRACT

4:00PM
SessionS06

Post-Quantum Cryptography

ABSTRACT

SUN18OCTDAY 04
11:00AM
SessionS07

Quantum Finance

ABSTRACT

4:00PM
Panel DiscussionS08

The Quantum PhD: Research Paths in India & Abroad

PhD researchers in quantum at Indian and international universities

ABOUT THE PANEL

Speakers in superposition.

Speaker profiles and abstracts will collapse into place as each one is confirmed.

CHALLENGES + HACKATHON

Stop reading.
Start building.

The Fall Fest ends where the interesting part begins. Teams tackle quantum computing challenges and build solutions using Qiskit.

Register your team ↗
from qiskit import QuantumCircuit

qc = QuantumCircuit(2, 2)
qc.h(0)
qc.cx(0, 1)
qc.measure([0, 1], [0, 1])

# your turn

The rules of
the game.

Everything you need to compete: key dates, tracks, team rules and what to submit. Judging criteria arrive with the prompts on 12 October.

REGISTRATION OPENS10 Oct 2026Google Form ↗
REGISTRATION CLOSES12 Oct 202623:59 IST
PROMPTS RELEASED12 Oct 202623:59 IST
SUBMISSION DEADLINE16 Oct 202600:00 IST · GitHub link
RESULTS ANNOUNCED18 Oct 2026During the 4:00 PM panel
01WHO CAN JOIN

Open to everyone

No eligibility criteria. Students, researchers, professionals and curious beginners are all welcome.

02TEAMS

Solo or up to three

Participate on your own or in a team of at most three members.

03FORMAT

Fully online

No platform to sign up for. Register through a Google Form, build anywhere, and submit a single GitHub link.

Register your team ↗
04EVALUATION

Judging criteria

Released together with the hackathon prompts on 12 October.

05THE CHALLENGE

Two tracks

BASIC

For participants getting started with quantum computing and Qiskit.

ADVANCED

For participants comfortable with quantum algorithms who want a deeper challenge.

06DELIVERABLES

One public GitHub repo

Upload everything to a single public GitHub repository, then submit only the repository link.

  1. CodeComplete, runnable source code
  2. Recorded presentationA video walkthrough of your approach and results
  3. ReportA written report describing the problem, method and findings
07FAIR PLAY

Rules & code of conduct

Rules
  1. Register through the Google Form between 10 October and 12 October 2026, 23:59 IST. Team composition cannot change after registration closes.
  2. Teams can have one to three members. Each participant may be part of only one team.
  3. Each team registers for one track: Basic or Advanced.
  4. All work must be done between the prompt release on 12 October 2026, 23:59 IST and the submission deadline on 16 October 2026, 00:00 IST.
  5. Submit only the link to your public GitHub repository before the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
  6. The repository must contain the complete code, the recorded presentation and the report. Incomplete submissions may not be evaluated.
  7. GitHub repositories must stay public until results are announced. Commits made after the deadline will not be considered.
  8. Work must be original. Open-source libraries and published methods are allowed when they are credited in the report.
  9. Disclose any use of AI tools in your report.
  10. Plagiarism, sharing solutions between teams or submitting someone else's work leads to disqualification.
  11. The judges' decision is final. Results are announced on 18 October during the panel discussion.
Code of conduct
  • Be respectful and inclusive towards participants, mentors, judges and organisers.
  • Harassment, discrimination or abusive language of any kind will not be tolerated.
  • Keep hackathon communication on official channels.
  • Do not attempt to disrupt the platform, other teams or the judging process.
  • The organisers may disqualify any participant or team that breaks these rules or this code of conduct.
08HELP

Questions & support

Write to qff@iitj.ac.in with “Hackathon” in the subject line.

Ready to enter
the superposition?

Registration opens on 5 October through a Google Form. The link will appear here as soon as it goes live.

Registration is open. Fill in the Google Form below to save your place.

Registration opens soon ↘
REGISTRATION STATUSOpening soon
Registration opens on 5 October 2026
QUESTIONS?qff@iitj.ac.in