Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has signed a Rs 1 crore licensing agreement to transfer India’s first indigenously developed Silicon Photonics-based Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) to industry.
The deal, executed through the institute’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO), was signed with Indrarka Quantum Technologies Pvt. Ltd. for commercial deployment of the high-speed QRNG. Developed at IIT Madras’ Centre for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS), the QRNG marks a significant step in India’s quantum innovation journey.
A prototype was earlier delivered to DYSL-QT DRDO, while an advanced version has been successfully deployed at the Society for Electronic Transactions and Security (SETS), Chennai, for quantum security applications.
The MoU signing ceremony was presided over by IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti, with signatories including Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (IC&SR), IIT Madras; Dinanath Soni and Tej Soni of Indrarka Quantum Technologies; and Prof. Bijoy Krishna Das, lead investigator at CPPICS.
The event was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), SETS, IZMO Microsystems and IIT Madras.
The QRNG technology has critical applications across military IT security, cryptographic algorithms, quantum key distribution, financial transactions, blockchain, gaming and scientific modelling. Leveraging silicon photonics, it offers enhanced speed and scalability for secure communications.
MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said: “Indigenously developed field deployable silicon photonic-based quantum random number generator (QRNG) module is pride for India.”
Dinanath Soni, Director, Indrarka Quantum Technologies Pvt. Ltd., said, “We are honoured to partner with IIT Madras in bringing India’s first Silicon Photonics-based QRNG to market. This ground-breaking technology represents a significant leap forward in quantum security solutions and exemplifies the success of the Make in India initiative. We are committed to making this indigenous innovation accessible across critical sectors, establishing India as a global leader in quantum security and advancing our nation’s vision of technological self-reliance.”
Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (IC&SR), IIT Madras, said: “The Centre for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (CPPICS) embodies IIT Madras’s vision of transforming world-class research into transformative solutions. The successful development and licensing of the Silicon Photonics-based QRNG is a testament to how focused R&D, backed by strong industry partnerships, can deliver technologies of national importance.”
Highlighting the impact of this technology, Prof. Bijoy Krishna Das, Chief Investigator of Silicon Photonics CoE-CPPICS, IIT Madras, stated: “I believe the field deployable QRNG module is the first silicon photonics-based product from India — a remarkable milestone in our nation’s research journey. I gratefully acknowledge the MeitY, Govt. of India, for the financial support to establish the silicon photonics CoE-CPPICS at IIT Madras.”
