India could be technologically capable of “quantum communication” using satellites in the “next half of the decade” of Professor Bhaskar Kanseri of the Indian Institute (IIT) -delhi, whose team recently reported an example of a quantum key division by one kilometer of self-transmission in India.
However, this would require large teams of well -funded multidisciplinary experts and the involvement of start -up businesses that are specifically focused on such goals, said prof. KANSERI.
Safe quantum communication requires the sender and receivers to obtain “quantum keys”, which are made from the streams of photons – light carriers. The distribution of quantum key (QKD) uses the principles of quantum mechanics: incompletely understood principles that are the basis of the behavior of atomic and subatomic particles, including photons.
Although there are several approaches to using QKD, one of them – said it is safest, but technically harder to implement – uses quantum involved. The pairs of photons are naturally “involved” so that the change in one immediately reflects in the other. Using it for encryption means that even an attempt to potential hacker into the transmission of QKD information for those who communicate, allowing preventive measures.
While generating such secure keys can be performed through physical networks, including optical fiber cables, the aim is to be able to do this in a “free space” or without such intervening wires. This is because the cost of such transmissions by cables rises rapidly as the sender and the receiver are hundreds of kilometers apart. The ideal step would be to include satellites that can act as an intermediary between any two points, even if they are thousands of kilometers apart.
However, the use of optical fiber cables provides a stable channel for quantum communication that free space channels do not. Atmospheric disorders such as turbulence, air flow, pollution, etc., especially in the city, such as the region of the National City of Delhi, made a more “demanding” for demonstration of quantum roads in free space. “The photon beam of the quantum channel varies and travels due to these disorders and leads to more errors. For these reasons, the levels of errors are generally higher than fiber. However, with better control and optimization of the beam, there is a range to reduce these errors,” said prof. KANSERI.
China has shown quantum communication based on the satellite almost ten years ago, since since the beginning of 2000 it began in quantum communication activities. “I firmly believe that India, which began quite recently (in the 20th century), reaches it in the next half -tenth and so, as well as under the national quantum mission (NQM), is strongly focused on the development of quantum communication based on satellite,” said prof. Kanseri, who is currently in the US, said in an e-mail.
As an Academic Institute, Iit-Delhi’s experiments were still in quantum communication “Proof of the concept (POC) of nature” carried out with a small team of four to five students, Prof Kanseri explained. “Satellite Based Quantum Communication Would Be One of the Biggest Projects and Require Not Only ADEquate Funds But Also and Large, Dedicated Team of Multidisciplinary Skillled Experts for Developing North Quantum Technologies, IF Funded ADEQULY, CAN Contribute Immemensely in Translation of Technologies from Lab To Market, and in Prototyping Quantum Technologies in a FocusSed and Faster.
In 2017 and 2020, scientists at the University of Science and Technology in China have created quantum keys involving satellite (500 km above the ground) and 1,000 and 1,700 km apart.
Since 2005, in Europe, Canada and the United States of free space (without cables), QKD has been greater than 100 km, suggesting that India still has a lot to cover in terms of QKD-tag communication.
January 27, 2022 Scientists from the Ministry of the Universe (DOS), namely Space Application Center (SAC) and physical research laboratories (PRL), both in Ahmedabad, together showed quantum distribution of keys in real time (QKD) to 300 meters atmospheric channel. In 2021, a team of scientists led by Urbasi Sinha showed perhaps the first cases of such communication with free space in Bangalore above the building separate 50 meters.
Quantum key distribution at much greater distances has been achieved compared to optical fiber networks. The Kanseri Kanseri team demonstrated in 2022 the intercity quantum communication link between Vindhyacal and Prayagraj using an underground dark optical fiber in a commercial class. In 2024, the team successfully distributed quantum keys using over 100 km of telecommunications optical fiber coil in another project supported by the Defense Research and Development Organization.
Published – June 22, 2025 17:35
