Israel has shattered the old playbook of Middle Eastern warfare. What began with the decimation of Iran's proxies has culminated in a direct assault on Iran itself. The global alignments now laid bare, and the irreversible shift in regional power dynamics.
In a world where GPS can be blinded and signals spoofed, surviving future wars hinge on mastering the quantum battlefield.
As global debt spirals and central banks lose control, the old rules of finance are quietly collapsing. Treasuries no longer offer safety. America and Japan’s bond markets are flashing red. Supply Chains disrupted and Wars on the horizon.
In a world where GPS can be blinded and signals spoofed, surviving future wars hinge on mastering the quantum battlefield.
In October 1927, something remarkable happened in the halls of Solvay: a small congregation of giants — Born, Dirac, Heisenberg, Pauli, and Bohr — came together. The world was still recovering from the aftershocks of Schrödinger’s unsettling proposal: that particles existed as waves of infinite probabilities until observed.
Out of that storm of possibility, the Copenhagen Interpretation was born.
It was not merely an explanation. It was a revolution of reality.
This interpretation declared that the physical world—finite, tangible, real—emerged from infinity.
That which was—a blur of probabilities, a sea of superpositions—became what is, the defined and concrete, only when observed.
Measurement wasn’t passive. It was an act of creation.
The observer no longer stood outside the system. He was the one who broke the symmetry, who forced nature to choose.
He asked a question, and reality answered.
Until then, there were only waves. After that, form.
Inherent in this view were two sacred functions:
If the question was never asked, the cosmos would remain suspended in potential. But once attention was directed, once intention entered the field, the wave collapsed. And from the infinite, the finite was born. A particle. A location. A moment. A world.
If a particle collapses from a wave into form only upon observation, then a far more disturbing question must follow:
Whose observation?
We say "the observer causes the collapse."
But what of the observer himself?
His brain—his neurons, his consciousness—are themselves born of the same trembling waveforms, floating in quantum uncertainty.
If the particle is a probability until seen, then so is the seer.
So, who or what observes the observer?
If the observed world is indeterminate until attention falls upon it, then what collapses the cloud of probabilities within the observer’s own mind into a single, pointed thought?
For before any question is asked of this universe, there must first be a collapse of thought itself from the quantum mist.
The questioner must emerge.
The question must crystallize.
From where? From whom?
Who chooses which one among the infinite waves in the brain takes form as "a thought"?
This is not philosophy.
It is the brutal logic of quantum reality.
The seer observes the seen.
But who observes the seer?
Whose gaze births the very thought that seeks to gaze upon the universe?
This is the article I had contributed.
Desh Kapoor
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A silent ballet of blinking GPS satellites circles Earth. The hum of electromagnetic chatter crisscrosses between them and unseen ground terminals. Coordinates. Timing signals. Life as we know it.
Suddenly—a flicker.
One by one, satellite signals warp.
A rogue frequency surges through space, spoofing software injected like venom.
The constellation goes dark.
It's 4.02 AM Eastern Standard Time. Location: International US Air Traffic Control Center at Atlanta. A dull-lit command room hums with quiet urgency. Dozens of radar screens glow. A controller sips his coffee.
Air Traffic Controller 1 tells his colleague: "Runway 26L cleared for Delta 982."
Suddenly, inexplicably, the green blip of the aircraft on his radar... blinks out.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 2: Where the hell did it go?
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 1: (Works furiously and reboots console): We just lost ADS-B. Try backup triangulation.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 2: (Wiping sudden sweat over his forehead shouts with complete disbelief!) Backup’s showing the same flight... over Lake Erie?
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 1: (Extremely confused and high pitched) What?!
And, now alarms begin to beep from every terminal. Multiple planes vanish, then reappear in conflicting airspace.
The overwhelmed ATC on the brink of a system failure issues an ATC Overload Alert: “Position Uncertain. Coordinates Spoofed.”
Meanwhile roughly 4200 miles away on the other side of Atlanta, at 9.02 AM London time.
Location: London Stock Exchange Server Room.
Rows of blinking servers falter. Clocks stutter. Financial transactions hang mid-packet.
TECHNICIAN (shocked and panicked, shouts): Time protocol’s drifting! GPS sync just collapsed!
Voice from the other side: Cutover to GLONASS or Galileo!
TECHNICIAN (punching hard at the key board with a bewildered look): Already tried. Getting jamming interference from... (shouting) multiple bands.
Meanwhile deep underground.
US STRATEGIC COMMAND CENTER (SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE THE EARTH)
After a quick flicker, red lights start flashing across a concrete bunker. Commanders rush to terminals only to see the digital maps flash with glitches all over.
GENERAL Hannah Reed: (Turns back at her team from the terminal while punching on her keyboards to bring systems back, shouts): Are we under kinetic attack?
MAJOR Sheppard: No launch signatures. No missile trails. But... all twelve GPS satellite tracks have gone off-orbit.
Reed: (while looking at nothing, asks from her memory): They’ve been spoofed?
Sheppard: Or blinded. Either way, we’re deaf and dumb across air, sea, and missile defense grids.
NEW YORK CITY - SUBWAY SYSTEM
Signals collapse. Train switches freeze. Underground GPS-based train spacing systems default to emergency mode. Several lines slam to a halt. One derails in a fireball in the dark.
A train crash!
HIMALAYAN BORDER – INDIAN MILITARY BASE
Encrypted comms go silent. One officer looks at the wall monitor.
Indian Commander (shouts into his comms): Our precision systems are blind. Drone fleets offline. Missiles can’t lock.
A young officer next to him: Sir, this isn't a glitch!... (with a steely look) It seems coordinated.
The commander takes a sharp look at the young man and then disbelievingly stares at the static.
And mutters - in an ominous whisper: “It’s begun.”
RUSSIAN NAVAL HQ – MURMANSK – 4:06 AM
The Admiral stands before a cracked tactical map. His aide turns from the screen.
AIDE: "Наш резервный ГЛОНАСС заглушают" (Our GLONASS fallback is being jammed!)
ADMIRAL: "Черт! Он бежит вслепую! Никаких спутников... только инстинкты!" (Damn! Its running blind! No Satellites.. only instincts!)
WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM – LIVE
The President sits, flanked by generals, the NSA, and the Secretary of Defense.
NSA DIRECTOR: It’s not just GPS, Mr President. Beidou. Galileo. GLONASS. All have degraded.
POTUS (asks knowingly): A global quantum blindfold?
The US Secretary of Defense: Mr. President, everything's down! No navigation. No comms. No timing. We just entered...(speaks thoughtfully and haltingly) the dark zone.
FADE TO BLACK.
The next war may not begin with missiles. It could start as the world goes blind as the global navigation systems go blind because of a major global GPS (and other systems) jamming and spoofing attack!
This is a contrived hypothetical scenario of how things could unfold if the current global technology is compromised given the capabilities of the current counter forces.
Remember Kargil?
During the 1999 Kargil War, as Indian Air Force jets launched missions against enemy positions concealed in the unforgiving Himalayan heights, Indian commanders encountered an unexpected obstacle—not from Pakistan, but from the United States.
India had sought access to real-time GPS satellite data to precisely target enemy bunkers and infiltration routes across the mountainous terrain. However, the US, citing its stance of neutrality, refused to provide military-grade GPS accuracy, effectively depriving India’s air and artillery forces of critical targeting information at a decisive moment.
This denial had significant consequences. Pilots were forced to rely on outdated visual cues and maps, increasing the risks to their lives and compromising the accuracy of their missions. The absence of GPS support delayed crucial operations, heightened the danger of collateral damage, and restricted India’s ability to conduct deep strikes.
This episode served as a stark lesson. India recognized that reliance on foreign-controlled space technology could become a strategic vulnerability during conflict. The experience galvanized a national resolve to develop indigenous navigation capabilities, ultimately leading to the creation of IRNSS/NavIC, India’s own satellite navigation system.
It was the night when India learned that in modern warfare, data is a weapon, and dependence is defeat.
Welcome to DrishtikoneTV — where hard-hitting truths meet razor-sharp analysis on geopolitics, strategy, and national interest. From exposing Pakistan’s secret underground moves to decoding precision IAF strikes and roasting dynastic pretenders like Bilawal, we don’t pull punches. This isn’t mainstream fluff — it’s deep, bold, unapologetic commentary for those who see through the noise. Subscribe now.
DrishtikoneTV Youtube ChannelQuantum information science and technology (QIST) is the new frontier. Here is a good definition of what this field comprises.
Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) unites two of the most seminal achievements of the 20th century: quantum mechanics and information technology.
Quantum mechanics, the most precise scientific theory to date, reveals how the universe behaves at its most fundamental level. Information technology, on the other hand, gave us computers, digital networks, and the modern tools that power our daily lives.
What happens when the strange, powerful laws of quantum mechanics are applied to information processing?
We enter the frontier of QIST—a revolution where physics meets computation to reshape the future.
Quantum technologies are no longer confined to theory—they are rapidly becoming real-world tools poised to transform national security. With capabilities ranging from unbreakable communication networks to sensors that can detect the undetectable, quantum innovations are set to redefine the battlefield and intelligence landscape. These technologies represent the next frontier in strategic dominance, offering advantages that could tilt the balance of power in the decades to come.
Measurements - precise measurements - can revolutionize many areas like Medicine, defense, and research. That is why quantum sensors are so critical.
Quantum sensing leverages the unique properties of quantum mechanics to enable precise and sensitive measurements of physical quantities, including time, gravity, magnetic fields, and acceleration.
This field represents one of the most mature areas of quantum technology, with some applications already commercialized and further breakthroughs anticipated within the next decade.
Under the surface of modern warfare, a quiet revolution is unfolding — one that may soon redefine the very foundations of intelligence and surveillance. The rapid evolution of quantum sensors, particularly magnetometers and gravimeters, signals more than technological progress; it portends the collapse of age-old doctrines of concealment.
Let us get to understand it better.
Applications & National Security Impact:
Advanced quantum sensors, despite the long-standing presence of foundational technologies such as MRIs and early atomic clocks, continue to face significant developmental hurdles. Critical challenges include improving system reliability, quantum-grade diamonds essential for high-performance magnetometers.
Interestingly, the U.S. lacks a domestic supply chain for these vital components.
Equally important is the need to cultivate an interdisciplinary workforce—one that combines expertise in quantum science, engineering, and mission-driven fields such as defense. Without this talent pipeline, the promise of quantum sensing will remain just out of reach. And, that has been a challenge as of now.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) views quantum sensing as one of the most promising breakthroughs expected in the near future. Initiatives such as DARPA's Resilient Quantum Sensors (RoQS) are leading the way in the development of robust, high-performance sensors. These sensors are designed to operate reliably in the challenging and unpredictable conditions of military operations, even on fast-moving and dynamic platforms.
So let us see what we are looking at in the future?
Instruments capable of detecting subtle variations in magnetic and gravitational fields threaten to expose what was once undetectable—submerged submarines, underground bunkers, stealth aircraft. The cat-and-mouse game of ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) is approaching a new asymmetry. Those who master quantum sensing first will not just observe more — they will see what others cannot even imagine.
The most disruptive feature? These sensors operate independently of GPS. In an era when signal denial and spoofing have become standard tactics, this independence can completely rewrite the rules of engagement in a war.
But within this promise also lies a vulnerability. The lifeblood of these sensors—quantum-grade diamonds, among other exotic materials—is not universally accessible.
Supply chains are narrow, fragile, and susceptible to geopolitical leverage. A country’s ability to build and deploy quantum sensing platforms may well hinge on its access to materials guarded by a handful of nations.
A small group group of companies forms the backbone of the emerging quantum materials ecosystem.
Companies such as Thorlabs, MSE Supplies, and ACS Materialsthose used in provide a diverse array of quantum-grade single-crystal diamonds, ranging from high nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center density specimens to ultra-pure, electronic-grade diamonds and specialized quantum diamond thin films. These materials are foundational for advanced quantum sensors, particularly magnetometers.
Industry leaders Element Six and Cambridge Isotope Laboratories firm up this niche, driving innovation and scaling production in quantum-grade diamond fabrication.
Together, these companies are shaping a critical, if quiet, front in the global race for quantum supremacy, where access to material science may ultimately define strategic capability.
Quantum computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics, including superposition and entanglement, to perform calculations. Unlike classical computers that use bits representing 0s or 1s, quantum computers use "qubits," which can represent 0, 1, or a combination of both simultaneously.
This allows them to perform parallel computations and solve certain types of complex problems at speeds exponentially faster than the most powerful classical supercomputers.
Maturity and Challenges: While the theoretical promise of quantum computing is immense and significant progress is being made, the development of large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptographic standards is still a formidable challenge.
Current quantum computing systems are often characterized as Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices, meaning they are prone to errors (noise) and have a limited number of qubits, restricting their scalability for the most complex problems. Despite these limitations, the trajectory of development suggests that quantum computing is an "inevitable advancement" that defense and security establishments must prepare for now.
The advent of quantum computing introduces a critical vulnerability through the "harvest now, decrypt later" (HNDL) strategy.
This approach involves adversaries collecting and storing large volumes of currently encrypted sensitive data with the intent of decrypting it once sufficiently powerful quantum computers become available. Because current encryption standards are known to be vulnerable to future quantum attacks, any sensitive data with long-term strategic value, such as national security secrets, diplomatic communications, or critical infrastructure plans, is already at risk of future exposure, even if the means to decrypt it do not yet exist. This reality creates an immediate and ongoing national security imperative to transition to quantum-resistant cryptographic methods, rather than waiting for the full maturation of quantum computers.
China’s Zuchongzhi 3.0 and Google’s Willow chip represent the sharpest edges of the global quantum computing race. Yet in head-to-head performance, Zuchongzhi 3.0 seems to have taken a decisive leap.
In a benchmark test involving quantum random circuit sampling—a task designed to push quantum processors to their limits—Zuchongzhi 3.0 outpaced Google’s earlier Sycamore chip by a staggering margin.
According to a study published in Physical Review Letters, the Chinese machine completed the task one million times faster.
China is not just catching up. It’s accelerating and may be outpacing the US.
Quantum communication leverages the principles of quantum mechanics, notably quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum entanglement, to enable theoretically unhackable communication channels. The fundamental premise of QKD is that any attempt by an eavesdropper to intercept the quantum transmission inevitably disturbs the quantum state of the particles (typically photons) used to encode the key. This disturbance can be detected by the legitimate users, alerting them to the presence of an intruder and allowing them to discard the compromised key.
Significant global efforts are underway to develop and deploy quantum communication networks.
China has emerged as a prominent leader in this domain, having launched the Mozi satellite, also known as Micius or QUESS (Quantum Experiments at Space Scale), in 2016. This satellite successfully demonstrated intercontinental quantum key distribution (QKD) between China and Austria.
China has also established quantum key distribution (QKD) links with Russia and, more recently, South Africa, thereby extending its reach into the southern hemisphere and actively building extensive ground-based fiber QKD networks.
Other regions, including the European Union and the United Arab Emirates, are also investing in the construction of QKD infrastructure.
Maturity: QKD is considered one of the more mature quantum technologies, with numerous demonstrations, pilot projects, and initial commercial deployments occurring worldwide. The technology is moving from laboratory experiments to real-world network implementations.
The proliferation of QKD networks, particularly satellite-based systems spearheaded by nations like China, points towards the potential emergence of a bifurcated global communication infrastructure.
This divergence could lead to the formation of new geopolitical alliances and exclusions based on access to these secure quantum channels. China's Micius satellite and its expanding quantum key distribution (QKD) links with Russia and other BRICS nations suggest a strategic push towards establishing a China-centric secure communication network, potentially defining a new "secure internet" where control over quantum communication capabilities becomes a significant element of statecraft and global power projection.
However, while QKD offers the promise of "unhackable" key exchange, it is not a panacea for all communication security challenges. The overall security of a quantum communication system is still contingent upon the security of the endpoint devices (transmitters and receivers) and the potential for side-channel attacks that might exploit vulnerabilities in the hardware implementation of QKD systems.
This necessitates ongoing vigilance and the development of more advanced QKD protocols, such as Measurement Device Independent (MDI) QKD, which is being prototyped by organizations like India's Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) to mitigate such side-channel threats.
A holistic approach to security, encompassing both the quantum key exchange mechanism and the integrity of the broader communication infrastructure, remains essential.
Quantum radar represents an emerging remote sensing technology that applies principles of quantum mechanics, such as quantum entanglement and quantum illumination, to detect and image objects. It promises detection capabilities significantly beyond those of conventional radar systems, particularly in challenging environments with high background noise or against low-observability targets.
Marin Ivezic
Quantum radar leverages quantum entanglement between photons to enhance detection capabilities, especially in noisy environments. It works by generating a pair of entangled photons: one sent as a signal, and the other retained for comparison. Reflected signals from a target, when combined with the retained photon, reveal information about the target with increased accuracy, even in the presence of background noise.
By using entangled photons, a quantum radar can, in theory, distinguish its own faint return signals from ambient noise with much higher confidence because of the inherent quantum correlations between the transmitted and received (or idler) photons.
China announced progress in quantum radar development as early as 2018 and is reportedly exploring the deployment of such systems on high-altitude airships or drones for applications like tracking ballistic missiles.
Research is also underway in other countries. However, a U.S. Air Force commissioned study in 2020, while acknowledging the sound physics underpinning quantum radar, suggested that it might have "low potential" for long-range applications with the then-current state of technology, indicating that significant developmental hurdles remain.
Maturity: Over the past decade, quantum radar has transitioned from a speculative theoretical concept to a principle demonstrated in experimental prototypes.
However, practical, long-range, and field-deployable quantum radar systems are still under active research and development.
The advent of effective quantum radar systems could trigger a substantial re-evaluation of military doctrine and investment priorities.
Moreover, quantum radar's unique operational principle, particularly its ability to "label its photons" using quantum correlations and perform a "lock-and-key" discernment of signal from noise, suggests it might be inherently more resilient to traditional electronic warfare (EW) spoofing and jamming techniques. Classical EW often relies on mimicking, overwhelming, or deceiving conventional radar signals. The distinct quantum properties exploited by quantum radar may not be susceptible to these existing methods, thereby requiring the development of entirely new EW paradigms—perhaps a form of "quantum electronic warfare"—to effectively counter this emerging threat.
Quantum materials are substances whose electronic, photonic, or magnetic properties are governed by quantum mechanical effects, often exhibiting novel phenomena not found in classical materials. Metamaterials are artificially engineered structures designed to interact with electromagnetic waves in ways that are not possible with naturally occurring materials; their properties are derived from their intricate sub-wavelength structures rather than their chemical composition.
Taha Khan
Research Focus: DARPA's QUAMELEON (QUAntum Materials Engineering using eLectrOmagNetic fields) program aims to push the boundaries of optical control of solid-state materials, seeking to change material properties using electromagnetic fields at the few-photon level or by harnessing cavity-enhanced vacuum modes. Research in this field is also driven by nanoscale techniques such as atomic-scale imaging and spectroscopy, single-spin quantum sensing for material characterization, and "twist engineering" (e.g., in Moiré superlattices) to create novel quantum phases.
Strategic Relevance: The development of materials offering superior strength-to-weight ratios, enhanced efficiency, and the ability to perform under extreme temperatures and conditions will provide a distinct advantage in protecting military personnel and improving the performance and survivability of military platforms and equipment.
Quantum imaging and remote sensing techniques exploit the quantum properties of light, such as photon correlations and entanglement, to achieve imaging capabilities that surpass the limits of classical optics. This can include imaging through obscurants, achieving higher resolution with fewer photons, or enhancing sensitivity in noisy environments.
Operational Impact: These technologies are poised to revolutionize operations in urban warfare, border security, and special forces missions by diminishing the strategic advantage traditionally offered by terrain, visual cover, or environmental conditions
Quantum-Assisted Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (QAIML) refers to the use of quantum computing's immense processing power to enhance the performance of AI and ML algorithms. This synergy is expected to be particularly impactful in areas like complex pattern recognition, solving large-scale optimization problems, and analyzing vast and intricate datasets far more efficiently than classical AI systems.
Strategic Relevance: The acceleration of AI capabilities through quantum computing is anticipated to improve threat detection, enhance surveillance effectiveness, and refine decision-making processes across the defense spectrum.
This is the area where Quantum computing poses the most significant risk.
The rise and development of quantum computing threatens to sever the very foundation of today’s digital security architecture. It is not a hypothetical risk—it is an inevitability. Once quantum systems achieve sufficient scale and fault tolerance, algorithms like Shor’s will slice through the mathematical structures underpinning virtually all modern public-key cryptography: RSA, ECC, and beyond. This renders global communications, financial systems, classified government archives, and medical records naked to decryption.
Imagine a single morning when every encrypted message—emails, military orders, financial records, classified intelligence, health data—becomes readable. Not hacked. Decrypted. Instantly. That’s the world quantum computing threatens to unveil. And the clock is ticking.
When a machine like China’s Zuchongzhi 3.0, already shown to outperform previous benchmarks by a factor of a million, reaches fault-tolerant scale, Shor’s algorithm can be unleashed.
RSA and ECC—the cryptographic standards of today’s internet, banking, defense, and communication will.. well simply collapse!
The result will most certainly be total digital transparency, not for the public, but for whoever controls the quantum machine.
And what’s worse? The threat may not wait for that future.
With Harvest Now, Decrypt Later already underway, adversaries like China are collecting encrypted secrets from today, ready to be unlocked when the quantum computing technology is powerful enough.
Rich DuBose
Zuchongzhi 3.0 is a mighty step ahead.
The gap between proof of concept and operational deployment is narrowing.
It was 10 years some time back, but it may not be even 5 years anymore, given the rapid advances.
This means the window for action is not decades away; it is now. Any data of enduring strategic or personal value — already stored under current encryption—may soon become readable in plain text.
The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has already warned that the impact on national security could be, in their words, “devastating.”
The rise of quantum technologies is more than a scientific milestone—it is a strategic earthquake, one that will upend the current global order, recalibrate deterrence, and reshape the very logic of modern warfare.
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has acknowledged a crucial shift: while quantum computing remains in development, quantum sensing and communication are advancing at a rapid pace. Nations like China and Russia are not waiting. They are already weaving quantum networks into their defense fabric, building detection systems designed to penetrate stealth, render GPS irrelevant, and create entirely new layers of situational awareness.
Cybersecurity in Collapse: The moment fault-tolerant quantum computers mature, classical encryption dies. Those who command quantum decryption or who have migrated early to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) or quantum key distribution (QKD) will dominate cyberspace. The rest will face total exposure: communications, financial systems, critical infrastructure—all vulnerable in real time.
Nuclear Stability Rewritten: Quantum computing promises unprecedented precision in nuclear simulations—revolutionizing warhead design, targeting accuracy, and deterrence strategy. At the same time, quantum sensors will expose secret test sites, track fissile materials, and erode the protective shadows under which nuclear powers operate. Arms control will be redefined or rendered obsolete.
The Quantum War in Space: Entangled satellites could usher in unbreakable communication channels, immune to jamming or interception. Coupled with quantum-enhanced ISR and sensor fusion, this will eliminate blind spots in space domain awareness, giving quantum-armed powers unparalleled control over orbital theaters.
Command and Control Supremacy: Quantum-secured, latency-free communication will harden Command and Control (C2) infrastructures against disruption, ensuring operational continuity across land, sea, air, space, and cyber.
The Death of Stealth: Quantum Radar will negate traditional stealth technologies. Resistant to spoofing, jamming, and low-observable strategies, these systems demand an entirely new doctrine in electronic warfare.
The Paradox of Asymmetry: Quantum technology is Janus-faced in asymmetric conflict. On the one hand, precision sensors and secure communication may empower small nations and non-state actors with niche advantages, such as detection, evasion, or targeted denial. On the other hand, quantum supremacy in computing or AI could grant major powers overwhelming dominance, widening the capability gap to an irreversible extent.
Deterrence at the Edge: Quantum breakthroughs will not simply strengthen or weaken deterrence—they will transform it. When the logic of invisibility, distance, and ambiguity is undone, deterrence must be recalculated. The future may not be stable, but quantum-aware, where power flows to those who harness the subatomic to command the strategic.
The race is no longer theoretical. It is underway. And the battlefield is everywhere.
India has recognized the immense potential of quantum technology through the launch of the National Quantum Mission. It was launched in April 2023 with a budget of ₹6,003.65 crore (approximately $0.73 billion) allocated for the period 2023-24 to 2030-31; the NQM aims to position India as a global leader in quantum technology research, development, and application.
Its overarching goal is to harness quantum technologies to bolster key sectors, including communication, defense, finance, and healthcare, thereby contributing to national initiatives like Digital India and Make in India.
In a press release, the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India shared this.
So if you look carefully, you will see that four major areas are being addressed:
To implement these objectives, the NQM has established four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) at leading academic and research institutions:
Cierra Choucair
These hubs are designed to promote collaboration among 152 researchers from 43 institutions nationwide.
But this alone is insufficient to secure national interests. To emerge as a global quantum power, India must take further steps by scaling up investments, accelerating defense applications, fostering public-private research and development partnerships, and ensuring strategic autonomy.
India’s quantum journey is unfolding through a dynamic collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Government institutions are setting the strategic vision, investing in foundational research, and laying the groundwork through initiatives like the National Quantum Mission.
These efforts provide direction, funding, and infrastructure to support long-term scientific advancement.
At the same time, a new wave of Indian startups is emerging, bringing fresh energy and innovation to the field. These young ventures are not only translating quantum research into real-world applications but also playing a crucial role in accelerating the commercialization of these innovations.
Their agility and entrepreneurial drive are helping to bridge the gap between lab-scale breakthroughs and industry-scale impact.
Together, this alignment between state support and startup innovation is essential to building India’s sovereign capabilities in quantum technology. It ensures that the country is not merely a participant, but a leader in shaping the future of this critical strategic domain.
So, when one looks at the Quantum Ecosystem that India has, one could draw this picture.
Why is this important?
Let us use the examples of these technologies and create a hypothetical scenario to fully grasp the direction future wars are moving in.
To create a comprehensive Quantum Response across war theaters, India needs to bring alignment between research, defense establishments, and the armed forces.
In the emerging quantum era, India must establish a dedicated quantum command structure that unifies its most critical scientific and defense institutions. This structure should bring together quantum researchers, DRDO, ISRO, and the Indian Armed Forces under a single strategic framework. Such an integrated approach ensures a unified national vision, eliminates redundancy, and accelerates the development and deployment of quantum technologies for defense applications.
India must place a high priority on the indigenous development of critical quantum technologies, including
(Sources: The Future of Inertial Navigation is Classical-Quantum Sensor Fusion / Advanced Navigation | A leap towards quantum inertial sensing for onboard applications with atom interferometry / Optica) | Quantum-Based Inertial Sensors / Cronologic)
Relying on foreign suppliers for such strategic technologies poses serious risks, including supply chain vulnerabilities, hidden kill switches, and restricted access during geopolitical conflicts.
By developing these systems in-house, India can ensure complete control over design, security protocols, and deployment, tailored to its unique defense needs. Indigenous innovation will not just strengthen national resilience but also enhance India’s stature as a technological leader on the global stage.
Most importantly, it will create the domestic quantum ecosystem, empowering startups, universities, and defense labs to contribute meaningfully. In the quantum era, self-reliance, just like today, will continue to be a national security necessity.
