QuBeats Secures ₹25 Crore ADITI 2.0 Grant to Develop GPS-Free Quantum Navigation Systems for Indian Navy

In a significant boost for India’s defence technology sector, QuBeats, a pioneering Indian quantum deeptech startup, has won the prestigious IDEX ADITI 2.0 Defence Innovation Challenge. The company has been awarded a grant of ₹25 crore (around USD 3 million) to develop an indigenous Quantum Positioning System (QPS) for the Indian Navy — a vital capability for future naval operations where conventional GPS might be denied, jammed, or spoofed.

Why It Matters

Modern naval ships, submarines, and aircraft rely heavily on GPS-based navigation systems. However, in hostile conditions or during wartime, adversaries can disrupt or block satellite signals, leaving military platforms vulnerable. To counter this, QuBeats is developing a new generation of quantum navigation systems capable of providing precise positioning and movement data without relying on satellites.

This indigenous technology will empower Indian naval vessels to navigate accurately in GPS-denied or degraded environments — including deep underwater, inside dense jungles, or during electronic warfare situations.

About the Technology: How It Works

At the core of QuBeats' innovation is a high-precision Quantum Magnetometer that detects the Earth's natural magnetic anomaly signatures. Every location on Earth has a slightly unique magnetic field due to variations in underground minerals, rock formations, and oceanic structures. By reading these subtle differences, the system can pinpoint the location of a ship or submarine with great accuracy, without needing GPS signals.

This navigation method is reliable:

• Day or night

• Underwater

• In heavily jammed or spoofed areas

• During extreme weather or combat scenarios

Key Specifications of QuBeats' Quantum Navigation Suite

• Quantum Magnetometer

  • Ultra-sensitive, detects variations in Earth’s magnetic field as low as picoTesla (pT) level.

  • Compact design, adaptable for ship, submarine, and UAV platforms.

• Quantum Gyroscope

  • Provides highly precise inertial navigation data, allowing movement tracking even when stationary or in the absence of external signals.

• Miniature Atomic Clock

  • Delivers highly stable and accurate time references critical for navigation and communication systems.

• Rydberg Radar (in development)

  • A novel quantum radar concept using highly excited atoms to detect stealth targets and electronic threats.

• Sensitive Target Detection Sensors

  • For surveillance, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and strategic monitoring.

Defence & Civilian Applications

While initially developed for the Indian Navy, this technology holds potential for:

• Submarines and surface ships

• Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs)

• Airborne platforms (without GPS dependence)

• Critical ground-based military operations

• Commercial deep-sea navigation

• Space applications

QuBeats estimates a potential market of over USD 10 billion globally for such advanced quantum sensing solutions.

The Road Ahead

The ADITI 2.0 grant will allow QuBeats to fast-track the prototyping, testing, and deployment of its Quantum Positioning System (QPS). The company is also actively raising a seed funding round to accelerate its product roadmap and build a strategic suite of indigenous quantum products for India’s defence sector.

“Winning the ADITI 2.0 Challenge is not just a validation of our unique technology approach, but a clarion call to India’s quantum aspirations. QuBeats is here to build the future — and build it from India,” said the startup’s founding team in a joint statement.

Final Word

With this win, QuBeats has positioned itself at the forefront of India’s indigenous defence innovation race. Its work will not only strengthen the country’s strategic self-reliance but also place India among a select group of nations working on operationalizing quantum sensing technologies for military and strategic purposes.