India enters Quantum era: DRDO & IIT Delhi successfully demonstrate Quantum entanglement-based free-space secure communication
In a breakthrough for national cyber defense and futuristic communications, India has successfully demonstrated quantum entanglement-based free-space quantum secure communication over a distance of more than 1 kilometer. The landmark experiment was carried out by the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at IIT Delhi, marking India’s formal entry into the era of quantum-secure communications.
The demonstration, a part of the DRDO’s project titled ‘Design and Development of Photonic Technologies for Free-Space QKD’, achieved a secure key transmission rate of 240 bits per second with a remarkably low quantum bit error rate (<7%), using an optical link set up on the IIT Delhi campus. This pioneering effort lays the foundation for real-world deployment of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), quantum networks, and eventually the quantum internet—offering unhackable encryption across strategic domains.
“This is a game changer in future warfare and national cyber security. India has entered a new quantum era,” said Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, congratulating DRDO and IIT Delhi for the achievement.
Quantum entanglement-based QKD provides a major advantage over conventional secure communication systems. Unlike classical encryption methods, quantum systems allow any intrusion attempt to be instantly detected, as the entangled quantum state collapses upon interception—ensuring absolute security, even with imperfect or compromised devices.
The demonstration was led by Prof. Bhaskar Kanseri’s research group and witnessed by top DRDO officials including Director General (MED, COS & CS), Director SAG, Director DFTM, Dean (R&D) IIT Delhi, and DRDO lab scientists.
Importantly, this free-space communication method bypasses the need for expensive underground optical fibers, especially valuable in mountainous or urban terrains where physical infrastructure is difficult or disruptive to install.
This isn’t the team’s first quantum milestone. In 2022, they established India’s first intercity quantum link between Vindhyachal and Prayagraj, and in 2024, achieved 100 km quantum key distribution over telecom-grade fiber, further pushing the frontiers of scalable quantum security.
The research is part of a larger initiative by DRDO to develop next-generation defense technologies through 15 Centres of Excellence at premier institutions like the IITs and IISc. These centers serve as innovation hubs where academia, industry, and government collaborate to tackle critical challenges in India’s defense preparedness.
DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V. Kamat and IIT Delhi Director Prof. Rangan Banerjee also lauded the team’s efforts, calling it a crucial leap toward India’s quantum-enabled digital sovereignty.
As global powers race to weaponize quantum technologies, India’s successful demonstration of entanglement-based free-space QKD firmly positions it among the frontrunners in securing the quantum communication frontier.
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