The project has a total cost of ₹300 crore, with the TDB support structured as optionally convertible debt (OCD)
The Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has signed an agreement with Bengaluru-based QNu Labs Private Limited to provide ₹150 crore in financial support under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund to develop indigenous quantum security and sensing technologies.
The project has a total cost of ₹300 crore, with the TDB support structured as optionally convertible debt (OCD). It aims to develop an indigenous technology backbone for India’s Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks (IQSN), advancing a portfolio of technologies from Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4–5 towards TRL-9.
The programme will focus on four areas: identity security, location integrity, network security and time integrity. Together, these technologies are intended to strengthen the security and reliability of India’s digital infrastructure, including defence, telecommunications, financial systems and other critical applications.
Under identity security, QNu Labs plans to develop quantum-secure physical unclonable functions (PUFs) and quantum-safe trusted platform modules (TPMs) to enable hardware-based device identification, authentication and cryptographic security.
For location integrity, the programme will focus on technologies to detect positioning-system spoofing and support navigation in GPS-denied environments. These include compact quantum magnetometers designed to detect electromagnetic tampering, with potential applications in defence and other mission-critical systems.
The network security pillar will advance quantum-secure communications through chip-based and satellite-based quantum key distribution (QKD), alongside quantum-secure communication modules and encryption systems. The time integrity component will focus on indigenous high-precision timing infrastructure, including atomic clocks and secure time synchronisation using QKD-authenticated distribution.
The programme will involve further research, engineering, system integration and validation to move these technologies towards deployment.
Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB, said the initiative would support the development and maturation of advanced technologies requiring sustained investment to progress from research and engineering to integrated, deployable systems. He added that building indigenous capabilities in quantum technologies was important for strengthening India’s technological self-reliance and long-term security.
QNu Labs’ founder said the funding would accelerate the company’s research and development roadmap across device identity, location integrity, network security and time integrity. The company aims to develop indigenous solutions for India’s defence, telecom, financial and critical infrastructure sectors while collaborating with academia, startups and industry to strengthen the wider quantum technology ecosystem.
