New Delhi: In a major step toward advancing India’s quantum-secure communication capabilities, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Synergy Quantum India Private Limited. The agreement marks a strategic collaboration to jointly develop cutting-edge Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technologies tailored for drone-based systems.
C-DOT, the premier telecom R&D institution under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has partnered with Synergy Quantum—an emerging deep-tech leader in quantum innovation—to build QKD systems using the decoy-based BB84 protocol with polarization encoding, targeting Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or above.
The initiative aligns with the national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and aims to strengthen India’s position in indigenous, secure communication infrastructure. The drone-optimized QKD systems are expected to serve critical sectors such as defence, emergency response, government communications, and critical infrastructure.
As part of the partnership, both organizations will co-develop quantum communication technologies, collaborate on national and international R&D proposals, and disseminate research findings through scholarly publications, white papers, and conferences. The collaboration will also foster academic and professional engagement through expert talks, short courses, and thematic events.
Speaking at the MoU signing, Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT, emphasized the importance of synergizing public R&D and private sector innovation:
“Quantum technologies hold immense promise for next-generation secure communications. This collaboration reflects our shared vision of accelerating indigenous capabilities and shaping a self-reliant digital future for India.”
Mr. Jay Oberoi, Founder & CEO of Synergy Quantum India, echoed the sentiment, stating, “This partnership has the potential to position India as a global leader in drone-based quantum secure communications.”
The MoU was signed in the presence of senior officials from both organizations, including Dr. Pankaj Dalela and Ms. Shikha Srivastava, Directors at C-DOT; Mr. Ajay Singh, COO of Synergy Quantum; and experts such as Dr. Vipin Rathi and AM G S Bedi.
This strategic alliance is expected to be a cornerstone in building quantum-safe telecom infrastructure, marking a leap forward in secure data transmission technologies for the future.
About C-DOT
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is an Indian Government owned telecommunications technology development centre. It was established in 1984 with initial mandate of designing and developing digital exchanges. C-DOT has expanded to develop telecom equipment both wireless and wired since 1980’s. It has offices in Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. While not a traditional Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) in the way entities like BSNL are, it’s often referred to as a PSU due to its government ownership and funding.
