National Quantum Mission: India accelerating development of Quantum Safe Space, Hack Proof Space Technologies for its Defence Forces

By R Anil Kumar

• The Department of Space in collaboration with the National Quantum Mission (NQM), is spearheading efforts to protect critical Satellite communications- such as those using the Indian Constellation navigation system (NaviC), from the emerging threat of Quantum Computing

Bengaluru. India is accelerating the development of Quantum safe, hack-proof Space technologies for its defence forces, following security concerns highlighted during Operation Sindoor.

While the defence forces navigated with the Indian Constellation (NaviC) system to pinpoint targets, these technologies could have been easily hacked by Quantum computing- a type  of technology that countries like China have made great strides in.

Quantum Computers particularly those developed by China, have demonstrated the potential to break traditional encryption methods, making India’s current system vulnerable to interception and decryption.

To counter this India is focusing on building a Quantum-secure Satellite network that integrates Post-quantum Cryptography (PQC) VPNs.

These advanced networks will leverage Quantum resistant algorithms and quantum key distribution (QKD) to ensure secure communication channels for defence and strategic assets.

QKD based on quantum entanglement enables the exchange of encryption keys in a way that any interception attempt is immediately detectable, thus providing a fundamentally new level of security. PQC VPNs meanwhile use algorithms that are resistant to quantum attacks, protecting data even if adversaries possess powerful quantum computers.

The quantum-secure Space communication is important for India and the transition to quantum-secure communication is fast-tracked, said Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman of the Mission Governing Board for the National Quantum Mission, stressing the need for Indian IP hardware chips to prevent any data going to China.

The first quantum Satellite will likely be announced within the next 2-3 months, with plans to integrate long- distance QKD networks on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and higher satellites by early August.

Defence satellites will be equipped with PQC solutions capable of generating digital signatures for each location, eliminating the need for individual ground station authentication keys and reducing the risks of key compromise.

However, to achieve this NQM will require the help of  Satellite providers like ISRO to carry the hardware on to the Satellite. The government has already fast-tracked the launch of 52 dedicated surveillance satellites. Chowdhry said the authorities are dedicated to making all these satellites quantum secure within the required time-frame.

Indian Private Satellite Companies are also involved in building these quantum-safe networks. The urgency of this initiative is necessitated by recent cyber-attacks on India’s defence and government networks, allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan and Chinese actors, and by China’s rapid progress in quantum computing.

India’s approach combines fibre-based, free-space and Satellite-based quantum communication. While fiber and free-space quantum links have already been demonstrated domestically over distances upto 100kms, the real strategic leap is in Satellite-based QKD, which can secure communications across thousands of kilometers.

ISRO and DRDO have already demonstrated entanglement-based quantum- secure communications over shorter distances, marking significant progress toward a national quantum communication grid.

India’s rapid push to deploy quantum-safe Space technologies is a direct response to quantum-computing threats particularly from China, and aims to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of defence communications in the quantum era. The effort is a critical component of India’s broader strategy to secure its digital and strategic assets against future cyber and quantum-enabled attacks.