C-DOT teams up with Synergy to develop drone-based QKD tech

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a telecom R&D institution under the Indian government’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Synergy Quantum India Private Limited, a 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, according to a media release. 

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, the media release said.

“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,” said Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT. “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.”

“This partnership has the potential to position India as a global leader in drone-based quantum secure communications,” said Jay Oberoi, Founder & CEO of Synergy Quantum India.