India has announced a plan in a National Mission for Quantum Technologies and Applications (NM-QTA) so as not to lag behind the other countries in developing this nascent technology. To supplement the funding and skills, the government can rope in the private sector and academia. There is a proposal to create a quantum computer with a 50-qbit capacity in the next five years. Still India is not on par with other countries and have to accelerate its puce.

In the early 2020, the university of Chicago (UoC) created a 52-mile quantum loop to transfer sub-atomic particles. This could pave the way for quantum internet. This was a connection between two points, and not a network as the present-day internet is.

Later, the US has released a blueprint for national quantum internet. It is expected that this technology would materialise in the next 10 years. Other countries such as China, the Netherlands and the UK too have conducted experiments of quantum loop over smaller distances.

In India, the DRDO established a connection between Defence Research Development Laboratory and the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad. These are located 10kms. apart. By world standards, India’s achievement is modest. Delft University proposes to connect two cities by a quantum loop later in Dec.2020.

Quantum technology now has limited applications. Internet speed is also slower. However, it is extremely secure. Country’s defence and scientific systems can rely on such secure internet. Quantum computers can be used to break encryption protocols.