“Quantum technology is opening up new frontiers in computing, communications, cyber security with wide-spread applications. It is expected that lots of commercial applications would emerge from theoretical constructs which are developing in this area" - Nirmala Sitharaman. 

Driven by the promise of the latest technologies such as AI, ML, blockchain that will open a plethora of benefits for all of society, nations across the globe are investing heavily in the field. The case holds the same when it comes to quantum technology – a class of technology based on the principles of quantum mechanics. Quantum computing, imaging, and cryptography are just a few of the rapidly evolving quantum technologies that have the capacity to redefine certain crucial areas including communication, security, and society in general. 

India is not merely a spectator of the play but has taken several key initiatives towards quantum technologies and their applications. 

And the race begins.... 

Making a mark, the government announced the establishment of the National Mission for Quantum Technology and Applications (NM-QTA) in 2020. The mission kickstarted with a total budget outlay of Rs 8000 crore to be implemented by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) for a period of five years. Quantum computers and computing, quantum key distribution, quantum communication, encryption, cryptanalysis, quantum devices, quantum materials, quantum sensing, quantum clocks, and other next-generation disruptive technologies will all benefit from this project.

To solve challenges of national importance, the mission plans to focus on fundamental science, translation, technology development, human and infrastructural resource generation, innovation, and start-ups. 

ISRO’s quantum communication breakthrough 

In March 2021, ISRO announced that it has successfully demonstrated free-space Quantum Communication over a distance of 300 m. The demonstration has included live videoconferencing using quantum-key-encrypted signals. This is a major milestone achievement for unconditionally secured satellite data communication using quantum technologies. With this, India now shares the table with a handful of nations including the US, the UK, China, Canada and Japan who made remarkable contributions in the quantum communication space.  

A number of key technologies were developed indigenously to accomplish this major feat, as per ISRO, which included the use of indigenously developed NAVIC receiver for time synchronization between the transmitter and receiver modules, and gimbal mechanism systems instead of bulky large-aperture telescopes for optical alignment. 

Q-Sim toolkit by MeitY 

In August 2021, India’s first-ever Quantum Computer Simulator (QSim) Toolkit has been launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. The QSim project is being executed collaboratively by IISC Bangalore, C-DAC, and IIT Roorkee with the support of MeitY. This indigenous toolkit will serve as an important educational and research tool for students and researchers in quantum computing.  

QSim allows researchers and students to write and debug Quantum Code that is essential for developing Quantum Algorithms. It can also serve as an important educational/research tool providing an excellent way to attract students/researchers to the field of Quantum Technology and provide a platform to acquire the skills of ‘programming’ as well as ‘designing’ real Quantum Hardware. 

Quantum communication lab by C-DOT 

In October 2021, Quantum Communication Lab was inaugurated in Delhi at C-DOT, the premier Telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India. The indigenously developed Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) solution was also unveiled, which can support a distance of more than 100 kilometers on standard optical fiber.  

The development of indigenous QKD solutions is essential to address the threat that rapid advancement in Quantum Computing poses to the security of the data being transported by various critical sectors through the current communication networks. this C-DOT has become the first organisation in India to offer a complete portfolio of indigenous Quantum Secure telecom products & solutions to comprehensively address the requirements of Telecom Service Providers as well as the strategic and defense sector in India. 

Indian Army's establishment of quantum laboratory 

In December 2021, the Army, with support from the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has recently established the Quantum Lab at Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow (MP) MCTE to spearhead research and training in this key developing field. Research undertaken by the Indian Army in the field of quantum technology will help leapfrog into next-generation communication and transform the current system of cryptography in the Indian Armed Forces to Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC). Key thrust areas are quantum key distribution, quantum communication, post-quantum cryptography and quantum computing. 

Conclusion 

Apart from the above-mentioned efforts, several other initiatives including IBM’s partnership with some of the top Indian colleges to offer over-the-cloud access to its quantum systems, recent intent of research firm Innogress to set up ‘Greater Karnavati Quantum Computing Technology Park’ (GKQCTP) on the sidelines of ‘Vibrant Gujarat 2022’ summit, and multiple others in the offing will pave the way for India towards some major breakthroughs. The technology holds enormous potential in the long run and reaping its benefits call for continued support and investment in the sector. 

Source: PIB & ISRO