Navy Signs Pact with Raman research Institute to use Quantum Tech for Secure Maritime Communication

According to a statement by the DST on Tuesday, the QuIC (Quantum Information and Computing) lab of RRI will lead research efforts to develop quantum key distribution techniques that could be used by the Navy to secure free space communications. The agreement between RRI and WESEE, signed for a period of five years, was inked by RRI Director Professor Tarun Souradeep and Vice-Admiral Sandeep Naithani, Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy. Professor Souradeep expressed his pleasure that the Indian science and technology ecosystem has been opening borders to enable talented and world-class researchers to contribute to the growth of science and technology capabilities in strategic areas of national importance. DST added that the QuIC lab has been at the forefront of secure quantum communication research and has achieved significant milestones, such as the development of an end-to-end simulation toolkit named 'qkdSim', establishing secure communication between two buildings, and, more recently, between a stationary source and a mobile receiver. QuIC has also proposed and implemented various applications using single and entangled photons to establish secure communications in strategic areas like banking, defence, and cyber security. Professor Urbasi Sinha, the group head of the lab, stated that the new agreement represents a significant opportunity to use indigenous science and technology knowledge to serve the nation.