New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) The Technology Development Board has agreed to provide Rs 150 crore in financial support to Bengaluru-based QNu Labs to help develop an indigenous backbone for India’s Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks, an official statement said on Friday.
The agreement marks a significant step towards strengthening India’s capabilities in quantum technologies and secure communications, the statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology said.
The project, with a total cost of Rs 300 crore programme, provided through Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD), will advance a portfolio of technologies from Technology Readiness Levels 4–5 toward TRL‑9.
It aims to deliver a sovereign quantum‑security and sensing technology stack for device identity, navigation, communications and timing.
The ministry highlighted the importance of securing the authenticity of devices, the integrity of navigation systems, the reliability of time synchronisation and the confidentiality of communications is emerging as a critical technological priority.
Quantum technologies offer new approaches to addressing these challenges, particularly in applications where conventional security mechanisms may face limitations from evolving cyber and technological threats.
“QNu Labs’ proposed programme seeks to address these requirements through an integrated framework built around four pillars: identity security, location integrity, network security and time integrity. The programme brings together complementary capabilities to establish a unified foundation for sovereign security and sensing infrastructure," the statement noted.
“Quantum technologies are opening new possibilities for addressing complex challenges in cybersecurity, communications, navigation and critical infrastructure. Building indigenous capabilities across these interconnected domains is important for strengthening India’s technological self-reliance and long-term security,” said Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB.
Quantum technologies will shape how nations protect their communications, devices, navigation and timing systems. TDB’s support under the RDI Fund allows QNu Labs Private Limited to accelerate its R&D roadmap beyond the quantum security stack.
The firm will focus on four connected areas such as device identity, location integrity, network security and time integrity, to build trust into infrastructure from the hardware upwards. This programme extends quantum security foundation into chip-based and satellite-based QKD, quantum sensing and AI.
—IANS
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