Mphasis And Copa Airlines Host Quantum Computing Challenge; Shares Fall 1.48%

Mumbai, September 22: Mphasis and Copa Airlines have hosted a global quantum computing challenge aimed at developing optimisation solutions for airline operations, with the exercise focused on improving passenger re-accommodation during flight disruptions.

Mphasis And Copa Airlines Target Airline Disruption Management

According to the exchange disclosure, the challenge brought together teams from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge to work on a real-world airline optimisation problem using quantum computing.

The challenge addressed passenger re-accommodation when flights are disrupted because of demand shifts, seasonal routes, cancellations or other operational changes. Mphasis said the problem was traditionally handled using established mathematical optimisation techniques on classical computing systems, while the challenge explored quantum computing to improve speed and accuracy at scale.

Mphasis’ Airlines Vertical and NEXT Labs worked with Copa Airlines to define the problem, establish data requirements and set evaluation criteria. The objective was to improve passenger re-accommodation rates without affecting solution runtime.

The competition was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved 22 IIT teams evaluated jointly by Mphasis experts and IIT-Madras faculty, with six teams progressing to compete against teams from the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge.

Stock Market Snapshot

Mphasis shares were trading at ₹2,262.20 as of 11:36 AM IST on September 22, 2026, down ₹34, or 1.48%, according to the market data shown.

The Mphasis share price remained below the ₹2,300 level through the morning session and moved lower towards the ₹2,260 zone before recovering slightly from the session’s lower levels.

The stock movement came as the company disclosed details of its collaboration with Copa Airlines and academic institutions around the quantum computing challenge.

Challenge Covers Quantum And Classical Optimisation

The participating teams developed an end-to-end solution pipeline covering several stages of airline disruption management. These included identifying affected flight segments and passengers, scoring and prioritising passengers using Customer Value Management data, ranking alternative flight options and optimally reassigning passengers.

The solutions also involved benchmarking and performance evaluation using quantum and classical optimisation techniques. Mphasis said the shortlisted teams presented their solutions to Copa Airlines leadership, with winning teams set to receive a cash prize and a joint certificate from Copa Airlines and Mphasis.

The company is also developing quantum-focused capabilities through NEXT Labs and its wider technology ecosystem. Mphasis recently launched QOptiDecision for quantum-enhanced optimisation using hybrid quantum-classical algorithms, along with qCryptsec for quantum-safe cybersecurity.

Mphasis Expands Quantum Computing Work

Mphasis said its quantum computing initiatives are focused on applying the technology to complex business problems through research, talent development and enterprise-focused solutions.

The company has been working with academic and technology partners, including IIT Madras and Quantum City, to develop capabilities around quantum computing and its potential applications in real-world business environments.

The Copa Airlines challenge adds an aviation use case to these efforts, with passenger re-accommodation providing a practical optimisation problem where multiple operational variables need to be considered simultaneously.

Conclusion

The global challenge hosted by Mphasis and Copa Airlines focused on applying quantum computing to airline disruption management and passenger re-accommodation.

The initiative brought together technology companies, academic institutions and student teams to develop and evaluate optimisation approaches, while Mphasis shares were trading at ₹2,262.20, down 1.48%, as of 11:36 AM IST on September 22, 2026.

Source:

• https://www.nseindia.com/get-quote/equity/MPHASIS/MphasiS-Limited
• https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/MPHASIS_22092026112035_Press_Release-22_September_2026-signed.pdf