The Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, has signed an agreement with QNu Labs Private Limited, Bengaluru, for financial support of ₹150 crore under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. This funding, provided through Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD), supports a total project cost of ₹300 crore aimed at developing an indigenous technology backbone for India's Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks (IQSN).
The programme aims to advance a portfolio of quantum technologies from Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4–5 towards TRL-9, supporting the development, integration and validation of a sovereign quantum-security and sensing technology stack. The integrated framework is built around four strategic pillars: identity security, location integrity, network security, and time integrity.
Under identity security, the programme will develop quantum-secure physical unclonable functions (PUFs) and quantum-safe trusted platform modules (TPMs) to support hardware-based device identity, authentication and cryptographic security. The location integrity pillar focuses on compact quantum magnetometers for electromagnetic tampering detection and GPS-denied navigation capabilities with potential defense applications.
The network security component aims to advance a quantum-secure communications ecosystem through chip-based quantum key distribution (QKD), satellite-based QKD, and supporting technologies such as quantum-secure communication modules and encryption systems. The time integrity pillar focuses on indigenous high-precision timing infrastructure, including atomic clock technology and secure time synchronization using QKD-authenticated distribution for telecommunications, financial systems, and critical infrastructure.
Shri Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB, emphasized that quantum technologies are opening new possibilities for addressing complex challenges in cybersecurity, communications, navigation and critical infrastructure, and building indigenous capabilities is important for strengthening India's technological self-reliance and long-term security. The founder of QNu Labs stated that this partnership represents a responsibility to deliver indigenous capabilities that India's defense, telecom, financial and critical infrastructure sectors can rely on, while strengthening the wider quantum ecosystem through collaboration with academia, startups and industry.