India needs to prepare for a major shift in cybersecurity as quantum computing advances faster than expected, according to Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman of the National Quantum Mission.He said the timeline for quantum day – when quantum computers can break current encryption – has moved closer. Earlier estimates placed it a decade away, but new developments suggest it could happen within this decade.
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Chowdhry said, “It is coming closer and closer”, citing recent global research. He added that work by Google indicates that by 2029, quantum systems may be able to break existing cybersecurity protocols such as RSA encryption.He said that critical sectors will be exposed. “It will crack our financial systems… defence systems… telecom systems,” he said, highlighting risks to banking, power grids and communications infrastructure.The National Quantum Mission, approved in 2023, has begun building domestic capability. India has set up four hubs across institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, covering computing, communication, sensing, and materials.Also Read | AI cuts film production costs by up to 70%, says Collective Artists Network CEOProgress has been made in hardware development. India has moved from a 7-qubit system to a 64-qubit chip, with a working quantum computer at that scale expected soon.The long-term target is to build a 1,000-qubit quantum computer within eight years. Chowdhry noted that India is behind global leaders such as the US and China, but said the technology must be developed domestically as access to external systems is limited.
