Technology Development Board under DST commits ₹150 crore from RDI Fund to QNu Labs for indigenous quantum-secure technology development

Key facts

• The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science & Technology (DST) signed an agreement with Bengaluru-based QNu Labs Private Limited on 16 October 2026 for financial support of ₹150 crore under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.
• The project has a total cost of ₹300 crore and aims to develop an indigenous technology backbone for India's Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks (IQSN).
• The programme will advance technologies from Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4–5 towards TRL-9, with financial support provided through Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD).
• The programme is built around four pillars: identity security, location integrity, network security and time integrity.
• Key technologies include quantum-secure physical unclonable functions (PUFs), quantum-safe trusted platform modules (TPMs), compact quantum magnetometers, chip-based and satellite-based quantum key distribution (QKD), and atomic clock technology with QKD-authenticated time synchronisation.
• Rajesh Kumar Pathak is the Secretary of TDB.