The Government's Ministry of Communications through its flagship entity, Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT), has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Synergy Quantum India Private Limited to collaborate in developing Drone-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology. Leveraging the decoy-based BB84 protocol with polarization encoding at Technology Readiness Level TRL 6 or above, this partnership aims to advance secure communications technology and bolster indigenous research and innovation under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. CDOT and Synergy Quantum will co-create research proposals for national and international grants while disseminating outcomes through academic publications and symposia. The collaboration also targets delivering expert talks and enhancing India's position as a global leader in drone-based quantum secure communications. Expected to facilitate the development of next-generation quantumsafe telecom infrastructure, this partnership is poised to revolutionize secure data transmission across various sectors including defense, emergency response, critical infrastructures, and government communication.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Communications: The government ministry overseeing communications.
CDOT: Centre for Development of Telematics, a premier telecom R&D institution under the Department of Telecommunications.
Synergy Quantum: Synergy Quantum India Private Limited, a deep-tech company engaged in the field of quantum technologies.
MoU: Memorandum of Understanding between CDOT and Synergy Quantum.
Quantum Key Distribution Technology: A technology being jointly developed by CDOT and Synergy Quantum, suited for drone-based systems.
Drone based systems: Systems utilizing drone technology as part of the Quantum Key Distribution Technology being developed.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi - the source of the posted information.
India: The country where the initiative takes place and whose capabilities are to be advanced in quantum-secure communication
Department of Telecommunications: The government department under which CDOT operates (DoT).
Government of India: The governing body of India.
Synergy Quantum India Private Limited: A cutting-edge deep-tech company engaged in the field of quantum technologies, partnering with CDOT.
Dronebased Quantum Key Distribution: QKD systems which are being developed by CDOT and Synergy Quantum.
QKD: Abbreviation for Quantum Key Distribution.
BB84 protocol: A decoy-based protocol with polarization encoding, leveraged in the QKD systems being developed.
Technology Readiness Level: TRL 6 or above, the level of technology readiness aimed for in the partnership.
TRL 6: A specific Technology Readiness Level being aimed for.
Atmanirbhar Bharat: A national initiative aimed at strengthening indigenous research and innovation in India.
Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay: CEO of CDOT.
Mr. Jay Oberoi: Founder & CEO of Synergy Quantum India.
Dr. Pankaj Dalela: Director of CDOT.
Ms. Shikha Srivastava: Director of CDOT.
Mr. Ajay Singh: COO of Synergy Quantum.
Dr. Vipin Rathi: Representative from Synergy Quantum.
AM G S Bedi: Representative from Synergy Quantum.
SamratRelease ID: 2128211: Release ID of the document.
Ministry of Communications
C-DOT and Synergy Quantum Sign MoU to Jointly
Develop Quantum Key Distribution Technology
suited for Drone based systems.
Posted On: 12 MAY 2025 11:38AM by PIB Delhi
In a forward-looking initiative to advance India's capabilities in 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 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Synergy Quantum India Private Limited, a cutting-edge deep-tech company engaged in the field of quantum
technologies.
The MoU aims to formalize cooperation between C-DOT and Synergy Quantum in the development of
Drone-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems, leveraging the decoy-based BB84 protocol with
polarization encoding, at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or above. This partnership aligns with the
national vision of strengthening indigenous research and innovation under the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative
and enhancing India's capabilities in emerging and secure telecom technologies.
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.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT, remarked, “The
convergence of public R&D and private innovation is essential to shaping a secure and self-reliant digital
future for India. Quantum technologies hold immense promise for next-generation secure communications,
and this collaboration with Synergy Quantum reflects our shared vision of accelerating indigenous capabilities
in this critical domain. By combining our research depth with industry agility, we aim to jointly develop
solutions that not only address national priorities but also contribute to India’s emergence as a global player in
quantum innovation.”
Mr. Jay Oberoi, Founder & CEO of Synergy Quantum India, expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to
work with C-DOT, noting that "this partnership has the potential to position India as a global leader in drone-
based quantum secure communications."
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO C-DOT, Dr. Pankaj
Dalela and Ms. Shikha Srivastava, Directors of C-DOT along with Mr. Jai Oberoi (CEO), Mr. Ajay Singh
(COO), Dr. Vipin Rathi, and AM G S Bedi from Synergy Quantum and other senior officials of C-DOT. This
partnership 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.
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Samrat(Release ID: 2128211)