India has successfully demonstrated an experimental advancement in the quantum communication domain that paves the way for real-time applications in quantum cyber security, according to the defence ministry.

“The free-space quantum secure communication using quantum entanglement over a distance of more than one km was achieved via a free-space optical link established on the IIT-Delhi campus,” it said in a statement on Monday. With this, India has entered a “new quantum era”, officials said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO and IIT-Delhi for this landmark achievement, stating that India entered a new quantum era of secure communication which will be a “game-changer” in future warfare.