Insider Brief
- India has demonstrated free-space quantum secure communication using entanglement over a one-kilometer link at IIT Delhi, marking a significant milestone in its quantum technology efforts.
- The experiment achieved a secure key rate of 240 bits per second with a quantum bit error rate below 7%, using a photonic system developed under a DRDO-supported project.
- The technology enables long-distance secure communication without fiber-optic cables and supports national goals for defense, cybersecurity, and future quantum networks.
India has taken a major step toward secure quantum communication by demonstrating entanglement-based quantum key distribution over a free-space link spanning more than one kilometer, according to a statement from the country’s Ministry of Defense.
The experiment, conducted by the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at IIT Delhi, achieved a secure key rate of approximately 240 bits per second while maintaining a quantum bit error rate below 7%. According to the statement, the test marks the country’s entry into a new quantum era and supports its broader push to develop advanced capabilities in quantum technology. The free-space demonstration eliminates the need for fiber-optic cables and opens new possibilities for real-time secure data transmission across challenging environments.
The experimental setup used quantum entanglement, a phenomenon in which two particles remain correlated regardless of the distance between them. In this system, any attempt to eavesdrop on the communication introduces detectable changes in the quantum state, thereby alerting users to potential security breaches. This method, known as entanglement-assisted quantum key distribution (QKD), provides stronger security guarantees than traditional techniques and remains robust even if hardware components are faulty or compromised.
According to the official statement, the experiment is part of a project focused on developing photonic technologies for free-space QKD. The research group led by Professor Bhaskar Kanseri at IIT Delhi conducted the demonstration in the presence of senior officials from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), academic leaders, and scientists from India’s quantum research community.
The secure communication link is intended to support future applications in defense, finance, and telecommunications. Indian officials emphasized that quantum technologies like this one are dual-use in nature, with benefits that extend beyond strategic sectors to national infrastructure and cybersecurity.
India has been steadily advancing its position in quantum communication, the ministry reports. In 2022, DRDO scientists in collaboration with Professor Kanseri’s team demonstrated the nation’s first intercity quantum link over underground fiber between Vindhyachal and Prayagraj. In 2024, the same group distributed quantum keys across 100 kilometers of telecom-grade optical fiber, further validating the potential of quantum-secured communications over existing infrastructure.
According to the statement, this latest free-space test avoids the limitations of fiber installation, which can be costly and disruptive, especially in remote or urban locations. By demonstrating secure transmission through air over a kilometer, the team has provided a proof-of-concept that could scale to longer distances or be adapted for mobile, airborne, or satellite-based systems.
The work is being carried out under the umbrella of DIA-CoEs—research hubs set up by DRDO at top Indian institutions including IITs and IISc. These centers are tasked with developing high-end defense technologies through collaborations between academia, government, and industry.
India’s defense ministry acknowledged the achievement as a milestone for future battlefield communications. The statement from Indian officials emphasized that this development strengthens the country’s preparedness for secure information transfer and may serve as a foundation for a quantum internet.
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