Thursday 26 / June / 2025
In a landmark achievement poised to reshape the very nature of future warfare and redefine the contours of national security, India has taken a decisive step forward in quantum technology.
A recent breakthrough by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has positioned the country at the forefront of global quantum innovation, reaffirming India's strategic rise in next-generation defence capabilities.
This historic milestone underscores a bold and focused national commitment to leveraging cutting-edge science for sovereign security, technological autonomy, and future-readiness.
It also marks a powerful example of academia and defence synergy, bringing together some of the country’s brightest minds in quantum physics, engineering, and cybersecurity to create tools that will shape tomorrow’s battlefield.
A leap into the quantum age
Quantum technology, once relegated to theoretical physics, has now emerged as a cornerstone of next-gen defence systems, especially in areas such as secure communication, stealth systems, radar evasion, encryption, and strategic surveillance.
With the successful development and validation of indigenous quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols and systems, the DRDO-IIT Delhi collaboration has enabled India to move beyond conventional electronic warfare into the domain of quantum-secure communications.
This ensures that sensitive military and intelligence data can be transmitted with an unparalleled level of security—resistant to interception, hacking, or decryption even by the most advanced adversaries using supercomputers or AI-assisted tools.
The quantum key distribution system recently tested between two strategic locations in the National Capital Region has proven India's capacity to secure real-time battlefield communication, strategic command links, and satellite transmissions under the harshest cyber warfare scenarios.
Indigenous innovation at its core
What makes this achievement all the more remarkable is its wholly indigenous character.
The quantum link established by DRDO and IIT Delhi does not rely on imported components, software, or encryption modules.
Every aspect—from the quantum photon source and detectors to the key exchange algorithm—has been developed in India by Indian researchers.
This milestone directly contributes to India’s broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), especially in sectors as strategically vital as defence and cybersecurity.
In an age where the global race for technological supremacy is intensifying, the ability to design, build, test, and deploy quantum systems without reliance on foreign suppliers is a strategic advantage of the highest order.
By developing and deploying quantum cryptographic systems for defence communication, India now joins an elite league of nations—including the United States, China, and Russia—who are actively operationalising quantum technologies for national security.
Strategic impact on defence forces
For the Indian Armed Forces, this quantum leap unlocks a new generation of battlefield advantages.
Communications between command centres, deployed battalions, submarines, fighter squadrons, and intelligence satellites can now be shielded by physics itself, making interception virtually impossible.
In practical terms, this development can empower India’s tri-services with capabilities such as quantum-secure telemetry, encrypted drone communications, and ultra-sensitive radar detection avoidance.
Quantum radars, in particular, have the potential to spot stealth aircraft and incoming threats with unprecedented accuracy and speed, redefining aerial and missile defence strategies.
Moreover, the seamless integration of quantum computing with existing command, control, communication, and intelligence (C3I) systems enhances real-time decision-making during complex operations—whether it's anti-terror operations in Kashmir, maritime security in the Indian Ocean, or safeguarding India’s space assets.
A model of collaborative excellence
The partnership between DRDO and IIT Delhi is a shining example of what can be achieved when India’s premier scientific institutions join forces with the defence establishment.
This collaboration is not just producing breakthroughs—it is building an entire ecosystem of talent, training, and innovation in quantum science.
The Centre of Excellence for Quantum Technologies at IIT Delhi, established with DRDO’s support, is playing a pivotal role in nurturing researchers, doctoral candidates, and startup entrepreneurs focused on quantum algorithms, hardware, sensors, and communications.
These young innovators will form the backbone of India’s long-term quantum capabilities, ensuring continuity, growth, and leadership in this transformative field.
Government initiatives such as the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NM-QTA) are providing the financial support, policy framework, and strategic vision to scale these research outcomes into battlefield-ready applications.
The result is not just scientific excellence, but strategic advantage.
Civilian and global implications
Though designed primarily for military use, quantum innovations often have powerful spillover effects into civilian sectors.
Secure quantum communication can benefit financial institutions, secure online transactions, space agencies, and even electoral processes, ensuring privacy and data integrity at the highest level.
India’s quantum advancements also place it in a strong position to forge international collaborations, both with emerging tech powers and like-minded strategic partners.
As the world gravitates toward quantum supremacy, India’s readiness can contribute to shaping global standards, ethical frameworks, and multilateral research cooperation in this domain.
Countries around the world are increasingly looking toward India as a reliable, secure, and self-sufficient partner in the quantum ecosystem.
With an indigenous and operational QKD system, India is not just catching up—it is setting benchmarks.
Reshaping the future
In a rapidly changing geopolitical and technological landscape, nations that harness quantum science are expected to wield considerable influence—on the battlefield, in cyberspace, and in diplomacy.
India’s latest success, led by DRDO and IIT Delhi, places it firmly in that cadre of nations that are not only adapting to the future but actively building it.
The era of conventional deterrence is slowly giving way to quantum deterrence—a paradigm where secure information dominance, rather than brute firepower, defines the balance of power. In this landscape, India is increasingly looking like a frontrunner.
As quantum encryption becomes as important as nuclear deterrence in the 21st century, India’s stride forward with fully indigenous, field-tested technology is more than a technical achievement—it is a declaration of intent.
A signal to the world that India is ready to lead, not follow, in the tech-powered age of tomorrow’s warfare.
This milestone is not just about science or security. It is about vision. It is about sovereignty. And above all, it is about India's growing capacity to shape the global future—one quantum at a time.
