IIT Madras Unveils India’s First Silicon Photonics-Based Quantum Random Number Generator, Licensed to Indrarka Quantum Technologies

Chennai, August 2025 — In a breakthrough for India’s deep-tech ecosystem, IIT Madras researchers have developed the nation’s first silicon photonics-based Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG), a technology that promises to significantly strengthen cryptography, defence, finance, and quantum communication systems. The intellectual property has been licensed to Indrarka Quantum Technologies, a Bengaluru-based startup, for ₹1 crore.

A Leap in Quantum Security

Random number generators are critical for secure communications, simulations, and encryption systems. Conventional random number generators often rely on algorithms, which can be predicted or manipulated. In contrast, Quantum Random Number Generators harness the fundamental unpredictability of quantum mechanics to produce numbers that are truly random and tamper-proof.

The IIT Madras team has achieved this by integrating silicon photonics technology with quantum mechanics, enabling a highly scalable and reliable platform. Unlike earlier laboratory-scale quantum devices, this design is compact, efficient, and industry-ready, making it easier to integrate into existing digital infrastructure.

Strategic Significance

• For Defence:
  Military and strategic communication networks depend heavily on encryption. With quantum random numbers, secure key generation becomes virtually unbreakable, ensuring resilience against cyber warfare and espionage.

• For Finance:
  Banking and digital payment systems require ultra-secure encryption. QRNG-based systems will provide a next-generation safeguard against hacking and fraud, especially as quantum computing threatens to overpower conventional encryption methods.

• For Cryptography & Quantum Communication:
  As the world moves toward quantum-safe encryption, India’s indigenous QRNG provides a crucial building block for secure quantum networks, including future quantum key distribution (QKD) systems.

The Indrarka Quantum Technologies Partnership

The transfer of technology to Indrarka Quantum Technologies marks a vital step in India’s push to commercialize indigenous quantum technologies. With the licensing deal valued at ₹1 crore, the company is expected to bring the QRNG to market, targeting sectors such as defence, banking, telecom, and critical government infrastructure.

Indrarka plans to manufacture the devices in India, aligning with the government’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” vision and the National Quantum Mission, which aims to make India a global hub for quantum technologies by 2030.

India’s Place in the Global Quantum Race

Globally, only a few countries — including the US, China, and members of the EU — have advanced indigenous QRNG systems. With this development, India joins the elite club of nations possessing home-grown, silicon photonics-based quantum security technology.

This innovation complements India’s larger National Quantum Mission, launched with a budget of ₹6,000 crore, which focuses on advancing quantum computing, secure quantum communications, and quantum sensing technologies over the next decade.

The development of India’s first silicon photonics QRNG is not just a technological achievement but also a strategic milestone. By securing digital infrastructure against future threats, it empowers sectors ranging from national security to financial services.

With IIT Madras at the research frontier and Indrarka Quantum Technologies taking it to commercialization, India is laying the foundation for a quantum-secure digital future.