India Moves Toward Ultra-Secure Telecom: C-DOT & Synergy To Develop Drone-based Secure Communication

Big move for India's quantum-secure communication! The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D institution under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has recently announced partnership with Synergy Quantum India to develop drone-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems.

Drone-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a cutting-edge method for securely transmitting encryption keys using quantum mechanics, but with the added mobility of drones.

This collaboration aims to enhance secure telecom infrastructure using the BB84 protocol with polarization encoding, targeting Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or higher.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 refers to a stage in technology development where a system or prototype has been validated in a relevant environment. This means it has moved beyond basic lab testing and is being tested in conditions that closely resemble real-world applications.

How It Works:

The drone based quantum communication system consists of a drone (left) that generates entangled photon pairs and distributes them to ground stations. From each pair, one photon (purple beam) goes directly to the ground, while the other (pink beam) is relayed through the second drone (right).
[Image - TheQuantumInsider.com] 

1. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) ensures secure communication by using quantum properties to generate encryption keys that cannot be intercepted without detection.
2. Drones act as mobile quantum communication nodes, enabling secure key exchange over long distances, even in areas lacking traditional telecom infrastructure.

The system typically employs the BB84 protocol with polarization encoding, making it resistant to eavesdropping.

Why It Matters:

• Defense & Security: Enables encrypted communication for military and government operations.
• Emergency Response: Provides secure data transmission in disaster zones.
• Mobile Networks: Expands quantum-secure communication beyond fixed fiber-optic setups.

As part of the collaboration, C-DOT and Synergy Quantum will jointly pursue the development of quantum communications technologies optimized for drone-based deployment. The partnership will also include co-creation of research proposals for national and international grant applications and dissemination of outcomes through scholarly publications, white papers, and other platforms.

Key representatives from both organizations may also engage in delivering expert talks, short courses, and organizing symposia, conferences, and meetings on timely research themes.

The initiative aligns with India's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, fostering indigenous innovation in quantum communication. The QKD systems will be optimized for drone-based deployment, making them valuable for defense, emergency services, and government networks.

C-DOT CEO Rajkumar Upadhyay emphasized the importance of merging public R&D with private innovation, while Synergy Quantum CEO Jay Oberoi highlighted India's potential to lead in drone-based quantum-secure communications.

This partnership could be a game-changer for secure mobile data transmission as it is expected to lay the foundation for next-generation quantum-safe telecom infrastructure, revolutionizing secure data transmission for applications in defence, emergency response, critical infrastructure, and secure government communication.

C-DOT Ties with VVDN Technologies and WiSiG Networks for Indigenous Development of 5G Open RAN Under AtmaNirbhar Bharat

With an aim to build indigenous 5G network infrastructure equipment, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a Government of India owned telecommunications technology R&D centre, has signed an agreement with two companies — WiSig Networks Private Limited and VVDN Technologies Private Limited — for collaboration in the area of Open RAN based Radio Network for 5G solution.

This collaboration aims to leverage the technical competencies and complementary strengths of Indian R&D and industry in evolving a mutually productive alliance leading to indigenous design, development, manufacturing and deployment of cost-effective 5G products and solutions. This engagement will augment the indigenous Intellectual Property and create new avenues for wider adoption and monetization of home-grown 5G products & solutions.

WiSig Networks Private Limited is an IIT-Hyderabad incubated startup engaged in the business of developing, marketing, and offering various communications solutions including 5G Mobile Communication Products and Solutions.

VVDN Technologies Private Limited is a leading product engineering and manufacturing company in various technology domains including 5G, Networking & Wi-Fi, IoT, and cloud storage services.

Speaking at the event, Dr. RajKumar Upadhyay, Executive Director, C-DOT emphasized the key role of synergistic engagement amongst various technology stakeholders in developing all-encompassing indigenous products and solutions in an effective and expeditious manner. He said today we have taken a big step towards development of indigenous 5G technology with the involvement of Indian partners for addressing the needs of the country and exploring apping the export market. He further remarked that R&D and industry complement each other and reiterated C-DOT’s firm commitment for promoting indigenous design & development of 5G technology in line with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of “Gati Shakti” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

C-DOT has indigenously designed various cutting-edge telecom technologies including 4G solution and is keenly working in the area of 5G.

Puneet Agarwal, CEO, VVDN Technologies said that “VVDN is deeply committed to enable the 5G eco-system in India. This collaboration between C-DOT, VVDN and WiSig is another step towards making India ‘Atmanirbhar’ in the field of Telecom. VVDN will work with CDOT and WiSig in O-RU design which includes indigenously developed Hardware and software. VVDN’s design, development, manufacturing and testing capabilities in the 5G space makes it a preferred partner. It is another proud moment for VVDN”.

Prof. Kiran Kuchi, Founder of WiSig Networks, said, "WiSig is delighted to be part of this initiative led by C-DOT to build indigenous 5G network infrastructure equipment. WiSig has been pioneering the development of indigenous 5G technology since last five years which can be seen in WiSig’s contributions to 5G standardization at 3GPP, TSDSI and ITU consultations. WiSig has contributed to development of Pi/2 BPSK modulation scheme which is now mandatory in the 5G standard and have also developed a significant portfolio of 5G standard essential patents. Through this initiative WiSig Networks will offer world’s leading, trusted and advanced massive MIMO and other stacks running on multiple competitive platforms in terms of stability, reliability and performance. Our RAN solutions will address the needs of public telecom networks, trusted and critical networks as well as private networks."

In July last year, WiSig along with IIT-Hyderabad, unveiled ‘Koala’, an NB-IoT SoC (Narrowband Internet-of-Things System-on-Chip). NB-IoT is a 5G massive Machine-Type-Communication (MTC) technology that enables low-bit rate IoT applications with long-range and device battery life up to 10 years.