India has demonstrated its first free-space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) link over 5.56 kilometres, a field-tested step toward building communication networks that can withstand security threats emerging with quantum computing. The demonstration was carried out by QNu Labs in collaboration with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) and IIT Gandhinagar, and was disclosed in a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) release on Saturday.
The field trial was conducted on the night of September 27-28, establishing a secure quantum communication channel between BISAG-N and IIT Gandhinagar using QNu Labs' Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking (PAT) system. It achieved a stable Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) below 5 per cent and generated secure keys at 230-260 bits per second, which were integrated with BISAG-N's post-quantum cryptography-enabled Vedic Kavach platform to complete end-to-end encryption and decryption of test messages.
Two layers of quantum security
The demonstration combined QNu Labs' hardware-based Armos QKD device, used over free-space optical channels, with BISAG-N's software-based post-quantum cryptography and quantum random number generation in the Vedic Kavach platform. According to the participating institutions, the integrated architecture is designed to stay resilient even when the physical quantum communication channel is temporarily unavailable.
What the institutions said
Dr Vinay Thakur, Director General of BISAG-N, said the integration of Vedic Kavach with QNu Labs' QKD technology represented a significant step towards practical quantum-resilient communication systems. QNu Labs co-founder and CEO Sunil Gupta said the successful 5.56-km demonstration could pave the way for longer-distance quantum-secure networks and eventually satellite-based quantum communication. BISAG-N is an autonomous scientific society under MeitY working in space technology applications, satellite communication and geo-informatics.
Sources:
DD India — India demonstrates first 5.56-km free-space Quantum Key Distribution link
Tribune — India demonstrates first 5.56-km free-space Quantum Secure Communication Link (ANI)
The field trial was conducted on the night of September 27-28, establishing a secure quantum communication channel between BISAG-N and IIT Gandhinagar using QNu Labs' Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking (PAT) system. It achieved a stable Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) below 5 per cent and generated secure keys at 230-260 bits per second, which were integrated with BISAG-N's post-quantum cryptography-enabled Vedic Kavach platform to complete end-to-end encryption and decryption of test messages.
Two layers of quantum security
The demonstration combined QNu Labs' hardware-based Armos QKD device, used over free-space optical channels, with BISAG-N's software-based post-quantum cryptography and quantum random number generation in the Vedic Kavach platform. According to the participating institutions, the integrated architecture is designed to stay resilient even when the physical quantum communication channel is temporarily unavailable.
What the institutions said
Dr Vinay Thakur, Director General of BISAG-N, said the integration of Vedic Kavach with QNu Labs' QKD technology represented a significant step towards practical quantum-resilient communication systems. QNu Labs co-founder and CEO Sunil Gupta said the successful 5.56-km demonstration could pave the way for longer-distance quantum-secure networks and eventually satellite-based quantum communication. BISAG-N is an autonomous scientific society under MeitY working in space technology applications, satellite communication and geo-informatics.
Sources:
DD India — India demonstrates first 5.56-km free-space Quantum Key Distribution link
Tribune — India demonstrates first 5.56-km free-space Quantum Secure Communication Link (ANI)
