He stated that the timeline for the quantum day—when quantum computers will be capable of breaking current encryption—has drawn nearer. Previously estimated to be a decade away, new breakthroughs indicate this could occur within the next ten years.
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Chowdhry remarked, “It is coming closer and closer,” referencing recent global studies. He mentioned that research from Google suggests that by 2029, quantum systems might breach existing cybersecurity protocols like RSA encryption.
He emphasized that critical sectors will be vulnerable, stating, “It will crack our financial systems… defense systems… telecom systems,” pointing out the risks to banking, power grids, and communication infrastructure.
The National Quantum Mission, approved in 2023, has commenced the development of domestic capabilities. India has established four hubs across various institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, and IIT Delhi, focusing on computing, communication, sensing, and materials.
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Significant progress has been made in hardware development. India has advanced from a 7-qubit system to a 64-qubit chip, with expectations of a working quantum computer at this scale soon.
The long-term goal is to construct a 1,000-qubit quantum computer within the next eight years. Chowdhry acknowledged that India lags behind global frontrunners like the US and China but emphasized the necessity of developing this technology domestically due to limited access to external systems.
