Pune
November 21, 2025
C-DAC Pune has achieved a major milestone in India's quantum communication efforts by demonstrating a B92 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system on a mobile platform. The field trial used a 50-metre Free-Space Optical (FSO) link with GPS-based precision time synchronization, marking a significant advancement toward agile and rapidly deployable quantum-secure communication systems. This will find application in Indian defence system.
In this demonstration, the receiver module was mounted on a moving vehicle, validating the feasibility of maintaining a stable quantum link during motion. This required a robust Fine Tracking mechanism to compensate for dynamic changes in the line of sight of the quantum channel - an essential capability for mobile, emergency, and satellite-aligned quantum communication scenarios.
The milestone was achieved under project "Agile and Adhoc quantum communication using Drone" from MeitY led by Dr. Anindita Banerjee. The setup employed the B92 QKD protocol, which uses two non-orthogonal quantum states, offering a simplified yet secure approach compared to multi-state protocols such as BB84. Quantum key generation took place through the atmospheric channel, while classical communication was handled via a drone-based RF link, showcasing hybrid classical-quantum networking.
Performance during the trial indicated a Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) of approximately 5% and a Secure Key Rate (SKR) of around 2 kbps, indicative of stable link performance under mobile conditions.
A secure video transfer has been established and demonstrated for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), utilizing a hybrid cryptographic framework designed to be resilient against potential quantum communication threats. This in-house solution runs on the Raspberry Pi platform and secures the classical communication channel as part of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) research initiative.
The QKD demonstration on a mobile platform was witnessed by Prof. R. P Singh (Physical Research Laboratory - Ahmedabad), Prof. UmankantRapol& Prof. Mahesh Babu (IISER Pune), Prof. Monika Agarwal (IIT, New Delhi), and Ms. Ranu Tyagi Research Head (Central Research Laboratory, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru), Shri. Rahul Neiwal, Scientist D (MeitY, New Delhi) and members from C-DAC Pune, on November21st, 2025.
This demonstration aligns with India's mission to strengthen indigenous Quantum communication technologies for resilient data security. It represents a critical step towards developing mobile, ad-hoc, and infrastructure-independent quantum communication networks that could support secure battlefield communications, using emergency response systems using drone platform.
