New Delhi, June 16, 2025 – In a landmark advancement for India’s national security and technological self-reliance, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and IIT Delhi have jointly demonstrated a quantum-secure free-space communication link over a distance of more than 1 kilometer using entangled photons.
This world-class achievement was accomplished by the DIA-CoE (DRDO Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence) at IIT Delhi, led by Prof. Bhaskar Kanseri and his quantum optics research team.
🔐 Why It Matters
The team achieved:
- A secure key rate of nearly 240 bits/second
- A Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) of under 7%
This system uses entangled photons for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)—a method that allows tamper-proof encryption, where any eavesdropping attempt disturbs the quantum state and is immediately detected.
This free-space QKD approach eliminates the need for fiber trenching, making it highly viable for difficult terrain, military use, and densely populated zones.
🚀 India’s Ongoing Quantum Journey
- 2022: First inter-city quantum communication between Vindhyachal and Prayagraj using buried fiber.
- 2024: DRDO-supported team achieved quantum key exchange across a 100 km telecom-grade fiber.
- 2025: Now, free-space quantum secure communication is achieved in real-world conditions.
These milestones pave the way for a quantum internet, where communication is truly immune to surveillance and cyberattacks.
🔍 Strategic Impact
With increasing threats to communication infrastructure, quantum cryptography is key to securing:
- Military communications
- National defense systems
- Financial and critical infrastructure networks
This breakthrough reinforces India’s position in emerging defense technologies and builds toward an indigenous, unbreakable cybersecurity future.
🧪 Project Details
- Project: Development of photonic technologies for free-space quantum key distribution
- Led by: Prof. Bhaskar Kanseri, IIT Delhi
- Funded by: DRDO’s Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management (DFTM)
- Testbed: IIT Delhi campus
Senior DRDO scientists, DIA-CoE leadership, and IIT Delhi’s Dean (R&D) were present during the demonstration.
🗨️ Official Statements
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh called the success a milestone in India’s path toward a “quantum-secure battlefield and national infrastructure.”
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, DRDO Chairman, praised the synergy between academia and defense labs.
Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, applauded the growing role of research in national resilience.
🔭 What’s Next?
With the technology validated in live field trials:
- India is ready to scale quantum-secure networks across sectors.
- Future milestones include satellite-based QKD and pan-India quantum mesh networks.
- This demonstration forms the backbone of a Quantum Internet, envisioned in India’s national strategy.
DRDO’s 15 DIA-CoEs at top institutes like IITs and IISc continue to power India’s defense innovation in AI, quantum, photonics, and cybersecurity.
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