India Must Act Fast to Lead the Quantum Technology Race, Lt General Says

India’s Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth says that the country that masters quantum technology first will have a strategic advantage, Times of India reported. The Army General called on the Asian country to take urgent action towards developing India’s quantum technology industry. General Seth said this as he compared quantum technology to nuclear weapons that shaped military doctrines in the 20th century.

A Shift in the Quantum Race

Speaking at a seminar titled “Quantum Technology Impact on Future Warfare and Way Ahead’, the General said that the future will be dictated by countries that master it. He said that application of quantum computing technology in the real world is not distant.

“The race is not about innovation. It is about national security, economic leadership, and technology sovereignty,” General Seth said.

Global superpowers like the US, China, and Russia are already making aggressive investment in quantum systems. The Lt Gen discussed quantum computing in the context of its wider impact on the military.

“Quantum sensing has perhaps the most immediate military impact. Advanced quantum sensors will revolutionise navigation, imaging, and surveillance. Stealth technology, which has been the backbone of modern air and naval warfare may soon be obsolete,” the Lt General said.

He also highlighted the progress that countries like China have made in developing quantum radars.
“A quantum radar, unlike conventional radar systems, can detect stealth aircraft and submarines with unparalleled accuracy. In 2018, China announced progress in quantum radar development, potentially neutralising stealth aircraft like the F-35 or even our future Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA),” he added.

Military Communication

The other area where quantum computing in India could improve is military performance and communication. The Army General argued that quantum technology, sensing, and communication can impact and disrupt military operations directly. He compared this disruption to the cyber warfare that has changed conflict over the last 20 years.

While making reference to cryptography, the General said that most modern-day military communications, banking systems, and secure networks depend on advanced encryptions that take supercomputers years to hack.

“A sufficiently advanced quantum computer could break these encryptions in minutes, rendering conventional cybersecurity obsolete. Imagine a future battlefield where an adversary can instantly decrypt military communications, exposing troop movements and operational plans. It’s not just a theoretical possibility but an emerging reality we must prepare for. China has already demonstrated progress in quantum decryption capabilities, and the US launched a Quantum Computing Preparedness Act to counter this threat,” he said.

The Lieutenant General further explained that quantum communication has the ability to provide hack-proof communication. He said China proved this when it launched the Mozi satellite back in 2016. At the time, the country used the technology to enable secure communication over thousands of kilometers.

“If an adversary eavesdrops, quantum physics ensures the information self-destructs,” he said.

India’s Quantum Tech Strategy

Major General Seth sees the future of quantum computing in India as not just bright, but critical.

“For India, securing military command and control systems using quantum-safe encryption will be critical. The Indian Army’s recent success in conducting quantum communication field trials is a promising step in this direction,” he said,

The Commander called on the country to accelerate research, development of indigenous quantum-based communication networks, and investment in quantum computing and sensing for military applications. To realize this, the Army General underscored strong collaboration between public and private institutions.

“This collaboration is not just about future-proofing our military. It is about securing India’s strategic autonomy in an era where data encryption and sensing will define the battlespace. We have the intellectual capital, institutional framework, and national resolve. Now, we must act with urgency,” he added.

The Army General was speaking to an audience of 100 students and military officers. Other quantum technology experts spoke at the event too.