a-quantum-jump-into-the-future

Virtually drowned in the cacophonous coverage of global conflicts and trade tensions, there was a positive news tucked away in the obscure corners of newspapers early this month that should make every Indian proud. It was about Indian scientists achieving a major milestone in the quantum communication network, a technology that is still nascent even at the global level but has immense potential for the future.

 

India has successfully demonstrated a 1,000-kilometre-long ultra-secure communication network using advanced quantum technology. This network, based on indigenous technology and created by the Bengaluru startup QNu Labs, is one of the longest secure quantum key distribution (QKD) networks in the world, demonstrating that India’s investments in trying to develop future-proof communication technologies are paying off earlier than predicted.

 

The landmark achievement, which came in less than two years of the launch of the National Quantum Mission (NQM), positions India at the forefront of secure quantum communications with strategic applications across defence, finance, and critical infrastructure.

 

Put it simply, this new system is designed to make communication nearly impossible to hack. Unlike regular internet or phone networks, which can be intercepted, quantum communication uses the laws of quantum physics to protect data.

 

The original plan was to build a 2,000-km network over eight years, but this early success suggests the target could be reached much faster.

 

Officials said the system works by creating “secret keys” that are used to encrypt messages. If anyone tries to intercept the data, the system immediately detects it, making hacking extremely difficult.

 

What is quantum communication?

 

In the present digitised world, the threat of cyberattacks is a major concern for the governments across the world. Insulating sensitive national security related data from such attacks is a big challenge. Quantum communication is the emerging area of technology that makes encryption unbreakable and has wide applications in securing data in strategic sectors such as defence, finance, and telecommunications.

 

Today, sensitive data is typically encrypted and then sent across fibre-optic cables and other channels together with the digital “keys” needed to decode the information. The data and the keys are sent as classical bits—a stream of electrical or optical pulses representing 1s and 0s. And that makes them vulnerable. Smart hackers can read and copy bits in transit without leaving a trace.

 

Quantum communication takes advantage of the laws of quantum physics to protect sensitive data. These laws allow particles—typically photons of light for transmitting data along optical cables—to take on a state of superposition, which means they can represent multiple combinations of 1 and 0 simultaneously. The particles are known as quantum bits, or qubits.

 

Efforts are now being made by some nations and big tech companies to take advantage of this property to create networks for transmitting highly sensitive data based on a process called quantum key distribution, or QKD. These networks are ultra-secure.

 

The quantum communication technology is designed to work across challenging terrains, including underwater and underground networks, expanding its potential civilian and strategic applications.

 

Also read: India demonstrates 1,000-km quantum communication network

 

This may sound like stuff straight from science fiction, but it is a real method that involves transmitting data wholly in quantum form. The approach relies on a quantum phenomenon known as entanglement. Quantum teleportation works by creating pairs of entangled photons and then sending one of each pair to the sender of data and the other to a recipient.

 

Quantum technologies are not just faster computers. They represent a fundamentally new way of processing, sensing, and communicating information. This novelty explains both the excitement and the anxiety surrounding them.

 

Robust ecosystem

 

A key takeaway from the development is that India now has a reliable start-up ecosystem to lead the quantum race. India has now joined the ranks of countries like China and the United States in demonstrating large-scale quantum communication networks.

 

Buoyed by the success, the government has expanded start-up support under the NQM, adding nine new ventures, taking the total number of supported start-ups to 17. The newly supported start-ups are working on areas ranging from quantum biosensors for disease detection to quantum positioning systems and precision electronic systems.

 

The latest development comes in the backdrop of scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrating  quantum entanglement-based free-space secure communication over a distance of more than one kilometre via an optical link in June last year. This marked a new quantum era in the country.

 

In April 2023, the Centre had launched the Rs 6,000 crore NQM with the development of home-grown quantum computers being one of its major objectives. The mission is part of India’s broader deep-tech strategy, alongside initiatives in 6G, advanced manufacturing, space technologies, and biotechnology.

 

With expanded start-up participation and blended financing models, India is positioning itself as a global leader in quantum technologies, reinforcing both its digital security and deep-tech ecosystem.

 

Big challenges ahead

 

For a nation like India, driven by an ambition to become a global technology leader, quantum computing is not just an opportunity, but a necessity. With a history of missed opportunities in terms of capitalising on the early trends in technology, India cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.

 

Though belated, the launch of NQM is laudable.  Development of home-grown quantum computers is one of its major objectives. There is an urgent need for stepping up investments—both public and private—in the R&D.

 

In the area of research spending, India has a long way to go. Between 2015 and 2020, India had filed 339 quantum patents, compared to 23,335 by China and 8,935 by the United States. The R&D labs in India import around 90 per cent of the critical subsystems required for quantum computing. This can be very challenging at a time when export controls on quantum components are tightening globally. India needs to build its first large-scale quantum computer and increase investments in commercial, industrial applications.

 

The focus for the immediate future must be on strengthening the ecosystem to transition from research to commercial applications, particularly in logistics and healthcare.

 

While India’s budget for the National Quantum Mission, spanning 43 institutions across 17 states, is around $670 million over eight years, China’s estimated investment is $15 billion while Japan has committed $7.4 billion in 2025 alone. Germany, the UK, France and the Netherlands are all far ahead of India in terms of investments in the field.

 

Another major challenge for India is the under-utilisation of human capital. While the country churns out over 91,000 graduates annually in fields relevant to quantum technology, an overwhelming majority of them have no jobs, either in the academic or the industry.

 

Quantum technologies are still in their formative stages globally, offering India a rare opportunity to shape the trajectory of a foundational technology. Quantum computing harnesses the principles of quantum mechanics to deliver a huge leap forward in computation to solve complex problems, with applications in wide-ranging areas like health, education, data security, defence and manufacturing and a potential to enhance the pace of developments in AI and Machine Learning. While India is on the right path to leverage this technology, there is a need for providing a larger role for the private sector and cooperation with friendly nations which are working to address the critical bottlenecks of quantum computing.