India's first quantum computing-based telecom network link now operational: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said the country's first quantum computing-based telecom network link is now operational in the national capital.

While speaking at the first international quantum enclave, Vaishnaw said that the quantum communication link is now operational between Sanchar Bhawan and National Informatics Centre office located in CGO Complex in the national capital.

''The first quantum secure communication link between Sanchar Bhawan and NIC, CGO complex is now operational,'' Vaishnaw said and announced a Rs 10-lakh prize money for ethical hackers who can break the encryption of the system.

''We are also launching a hackathon, a challenge round, for anybody who breaks this system and system developed by C-DoT, we will be giving Rs 10 lakh per break,'' Vaishnaw said.

The minister inaugurated a small exhibition of quantum computing firms and invited them to run pilot projects for communications networks and Indian Railways.

Quantum Technologies are an emerging field with numerous path breaking applications in the area of communications, computing, and sensing etc.

Quantum computers, once built, are expected to break the security of all existing digital technologies.

Indian companies are building solutions around quantum using mathematical models as well as softwares through simulations.

State-owned research organisation C-DoT has developed solutions for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) or quantum cryptography and Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) - a segment which deals in developing solutions that can stay safe both in quantum and classical computing environment.

The hackathon announced by the minister will help in discovering vulnerabilities in QKD as well as PQC solutions that will further strengthen the quantum ecosystem in India.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)