India Achieves Quantum Communication Milestone with IIT-Delhi Demonstration

New Delhi, June 17 (PTI) – India has marked a significant milestone in the realm of quantum communication through a groundbreaking experimental demonstration, facilitating real-time applications in quantum cyber security, as announced by the defence ministry.

A statement released on Monday revealed that free-space quantum secure communication using quantum entanglement was successfully conducted over a distance exceeding one kilometer via a free-space optical link set up on the IIT-Delhi campus.

This achievement heralds India's foray into a "new quantum era," according to officials.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended his congratulations to the DRDO and IIT-Delhi for this monumental accomplishment, describing it as a transformative leap into secure communication that promises to reshape future warfare.

"This entanglement-assisted quantum secure communication is a launchpad for real-time quantum cyber security applications, encompassing long-distance Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), the formation of quantum networks, and the envisioned quantum internet," the statement asserted.

The experimental setup achieved a secure key rate of nearly 240 bits per second with a quantum bit error rate below seven percent, the ministry indicated.

Aligning with India's strategic goals to enhance quantum technologies for national progress, the project 'Design and development of photonic technologies for free space QKD', sponsored by the Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management (DFTM), DRDO, showcased this advancement under the guidance of Prof Bhaskar Kanseri's research group, with notable officials from DRDO, IIT-Delhi's Dean (R&D), Director (DIA-CoE), and DRDO lab scientists in attendance.

"Quantum entanglement-based QKD surpasses traditional prepare-and-measure methodologies by bolstering both security and operability, ensuring secure key distribution even with compromised or flawed devices.

Any interference or interception of the entangled photons disrupts the quantum state, making eavesdropping detectable to authorized users," the statement elaborated.

Offering impenetrable encryption, quantum communication stands as a dual-use technology, pivotal in safeguarding data within strategic sectors such as defence, finance, and telecommunications, alongside assuring protection for communications concerning national security.

"Opting for free-space QKD eradicates the need for laying optical fibers, an often disruptive and costly procedure, especially across challenging terrains and dense urban layouts," the release highlighted.

In a preceding venture, India's inaugural intercity quantum communication link between Vindhyachal and Prayagraj was demonstrated in 2022 using commercial-grade underground dark optical fiber, thanks to the collaboration between DRDO scientists and Prof Bhaskar's team.

More recently, in 2024, the team adeptly executed the distribution of quantum keys using entanglement over a 100 km spool of telecom-grade optical fiber in another DRDO-supported initiative.

These technological strides are courtesy of the DRDO-Industry-Academia - Centres of Excellence (DIA-CoEs) initiative, with 15 such centers being set up at prestigious academic institutions, including IITs, IISc, and universities, to foster advanced defence technologies.

DRDO Chairman and Department of Defence R&D Secretary Samir V Kamat, alongside IIT-Delhi Director Prof Rangan Banerjee, applauded the team for securing these pivotal breakthroughs.