India’s quantum technology ecosystem is set for a major boost, with Bengaluru-based QNu Labs Private Limited securing ₹150 crore in financial support from the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science & Technology’s Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. The support will back a ₹300 crore project aimed at developing indigenous technologies for India’s Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks (IQSN).
The initiative seeks to strengthen India’s capabilities in quantum-secure communications, trusted navigation, device authentication and precision timing. It will bring together technologies designed to protect digital infrastructure and critical systems against evolving security threats, while advancing the development of a homegrown quantum-security and sensing ecosystem.
Four Technology Pillars to Shape India’s Quantum Security Push
The QNu Labs programme will focus on four interconnected areas: identity security, location integrity, network security and time integrity. Together, these pillars are intended to establish a technology framework that can support secure digital systems across defence, telecommunications, financial services and other critical infrastructure sectors.
The project aims to advance a portfolio of technologies currently at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4-5 towards TRL-9 through further research, engineering, integration and validation. TRL-9 represents the highest level on the technology readiness scale, associated with a system proven in its operational environment.
Hardware-Level Security to Strengthen Device Identity
The identity security component will focus on technologies that help establish trusted device identities and strengthen authentication. These include quantum-secure physical unclonable functions (PUFs) and quantum-safe trusted platform modules (TPMs).
Such hardware-based approaches are intended to make device authentication more resilient against attempts to replicate identities or compromise security credentials. Building trust at the hardware level could become increasingly important as connected devices and digital infrastructure expand across industrial and mission-critical environments.
Quantum Sensing Targets Trusted Navigation
The programme’s location integrity pillar will explore technologies designed to improve navigation reliability and detect attempts to manipulate or spoof positioning systems.
The proposed work includes compact quantum magnetometers for detecting electromagnetic tampering, alongside GPS-denied navigation capabilities. These technologies could have applications in defence and other environments where dependable positioning is essential, particularly when conventional satellite-based navigation signals are unavailable or potentially compromised.
Chip-Based and Satellite-Based QKD to Advance Secure Communications
Network security forms another major part of the initiative, with a focus on developing indigenous quantum-secure communication technologies.
The proposed technology portfolio includes chip-based quantum key distribution (QKD), satellite-based QKD, quantum-secure communication modules and encryption systems. QKD uses quantum properties to establish cryptographic keys and can help detect attempts to intercept the key exchange under suitable implementations.
The programme aims to advance these technologies towards deployable solutions for terrestrial and long-distance communications networks. Developing domestic capabilities in this area could support secure communications requirements across strategic and commercial sectors.
Indigenous Atomic Clocks to Support Time Integrity
The fourth pillar centres on high-precision timing infrastructure, including indigenous atomic clock technology and secure time synchronization using QKD-authenticated distribution.
Accurate and trustworthy timing is fundamental to telecommunications networks, financial transactions, critical infrastructure operations and defence systems. Manipulated or unreliable timing signals can undermine the coordination and reliability of interconnected systems, making time integrity an important part of the broader quantum-security framework.
By addressing device identity, navigation, communications and timing within a single programme, QNu Labs aims to develop complementary technologies that can contribute to a more integrated security and sensing architecture.
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₹300 Crore Project to Advance Indigenous Quantum Technologies
The total project cost is estimated at ₹300 crores with ₹150 crores in support from TDB under the RDI Fund. The financial assistance will be provided through optionally convertible debt, a funding instrument that may convert into equity subject to the applicable terms.
TDB Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Pathak said the support is intended to help advanced technologies move beyond research and engineering towards integrated systems that can be deployed in operational environments. He highlighted the importance of building domestic capabilities across cybersecurity, communications, navigation and critical infrastructure.
QNu Labs’ founder said the programme would accelerate the company’s research and development roadmap across device identity, location integrity, network security and time integrity. The company also intends to extend its work across chip-based and satellite-based QKD, quantum sensing and AI, while collaborating with academia, startups and industry.
The project’s success will depend on further technology development, system integration and validation as the proposed solutions progress towards higher readiness levels.
With this initiative, India is advancing an integrated approach to quantum-secure communications and sensing technologies. The ₹300 crore programme places emphasis on developing domestic capabilities that could serve strategic and critical infrastructure requirements as the country’s digital systems become increasingly interconnected.
