India Achieves Major Breakthrough in Quantum Secure Communication
India has taken a major step in quantum communication with a new demonstration by DRDO and IIT Delhi. The trial showed successful free-space quantum secure communication using quantum entanglement over a distance of more than one kilometre.
Quantum Leap in Secure Data Sharing
This experiment was conducted at the IIT Delhi campus under the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE). Researchers achieved a secure key rate of around 240 bits per second. The quantum bit error rate stayed below 7%. These results prove the potential of quantum entanglement for real-time secure communication.
The project, titled ‘Design and development of photonic technologies for free space QKD’, was approved by the Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management (DFTM), DRDO. The demonstration was led by Professor Bhaskar Kanseri’s team. Key officials from DRDO, IIT Delhi, and related labs attended the event.
A New Path for National Security and Innovation
Quantum entanglement allows safer key distribution than traditional methods. Even if the communication devices are faulty or hacked, the quantum nature of the connection ensures security. Any attempt to intercept the signal changes the quantum state, alerting users to possible breaches.
This technology enables secure data transfer for defence, finance, telecoms, and other critical areas. Free-space communication is also useful in locations where laying optical fibre is tough or costly, such as mountains or cities.
Building on Past Successes
This is not India’s first success in quantum communication. In 2022, DRDO and the same research team created India’s first intercity quantum link between Vindhyachal and Prayagraj using underground optical fibre. In 2024, they distributed quantum keys over a 100 km coil of telecom-grade fibre.
These advances are part of DRDO’s strategy to promote innovation through Centres of Excellence. These centres, located in top institutes like IITs and IISc, aim to create leading-edge defence technologies.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh praised the teams for marking the start of a new era in quantum-secure communication. He called the achievement a potential game changer for future warfare. DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat and IIT Delhi Director Prof Rangan Banerjee also congratulated the researchers.
