India showcases its first 5.56 km free‑space quantum communication link

New Delhi: India on Saturday said that QNu Labs, in collaboration with Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo‑informatics (BISAG‑N) and IIT Gandhinagar, has successfully demonstrated the country’s first free‑space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) link at a scale of 5.56 km.

The field trial established a secure quantum communication channel between BISAG‑N and IIT Gandhinagar.

Using QNu Labs’ Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking system, the trial achieved a stable Quantum Bit Error Rate below 5 per cent and generated secure keys at a rate of 230–260 bps.

These keys were integrated with BISAG‑N’s post‑quantum cryptography enabled Vedic Kavach platform, enabling successful end‑to‑end encryption and decryption of test messages.

The demonstration combined two complementary layers of quantum security: QNu Labs’ hardware‑based QKD device Armos over free‑space optical channels and BISAG‑N’s Vedic Kavach software‑based post‑quantum cryptography with quantum random number generation.

Dr Vinay Thakur, Director General, BISAG‑N, said the integration of Vedic Kavach with QNu Labs’ QKD technology marks a significant step towards practical quantum‑resilient communication systems.

The trial provides a foundation for advancing India’s capabilities in secure communication infrastructure, strengthening resilience against emerging quantum‑era security threats.

Sunil Gupta, Co‑founder and CEO, QNu Labs, emphasised that the successful 5.56 km demonstration paves the way for longer‑distance quantum‑secure networks and satellite‑based quantum communication.

This integrated architecture ensures resilience even if the physical quantum channel is temporarily unavailable.

Cmde Manish Tripathi (Retd.), In‑charge, ISTF, IIT Gandhinagar, added that the demonstration provides a valuable field environment for advancing practical quantum communication technologies and showcases how academia, indigenous technology and real‑world experimentation can be integrated to meet emerging secure communication requirements.

Founded in 2016, QNu Labs is India’s pioneer in quantum‑secure digital infrastructure, offering sovereign products and solutions deployed globally.

An autonomous scientific society under MeitY, BISAG‑N works in space technology applications, satellite communication, geo‑informatics and supports technology‑driven governance.

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