A significant advancement in quantum innovation has emerged from IIT Madras, poised to strengthen India’s IT security across various sectors. The institute has developed India’s first Silicon Photonics-based high-speed Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG), a technology with applications in military and defense, financial transactions, blockchain, OTP generation, and gaming. This innovation is now being brought to market through a collaboration with Indrarka Quantum Technologies Pvt. Ltd., marking a step in translating academic research into market-ready products.
The QRNG technology, developed at IIT Madras’s Centre for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuit and Systems (CPPICS), offers critical applications in IT security for the military and defense, cryptographic algorithms, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), scientific modeling and simulations, financial transactions, blockchain, OTP generation, and gaming applications. A licensing agreement worth Rs 1 crore was signed between IIT Madras and the private company. Earlier, a prototype version was delivered to DYSL-QT DRDO, and an advanced version has been deployed at SETS Chennai for quantum security applications. The project has been hailed as a milestone in India’s research journey, showcasing the potential of focused R&D and industry partnerships in delivering technologies of national importance.