Q- Entangle Quantum Conclave 2026

Rajat Sethi is Co-Founder and CEO of QuBeats - a quantum sensing and laser tech startup. Technology strategist specializing in translating frontier quantum and laser-based sensing technologies into operational defense capabilities. Focused on systems architecture and strategic tech integration across government and commercial sectors. Background includes degrees from Harvard University., MIT Sloan, and IIT Kharagpur.

The impending arrival of cryptographically relevant quantum computers makes Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) migration an urgent necessity, as classical encryption algorithms (RSA, ECC) will soon be completely broken, leaving critical infrastructure, smart systems, and sensitive data vulnerable to retroactive decryption. The immediate challenges of this migration are highly pronounced in intelligent sensing and sustainable electronics, where the significantly larger key sizes, increased memory requirements, and intense computational overhead of NIST-standardized PQC algorithms directly collide with the strict power, latency, and hardware constraints of edge devices and Operational Technology (OT). To address this, the transition roadmap must focus on achieving systemic cryptographic agility through phased deployments, employing hybrid classical-quantum cryptographic schemes, and aggressively pursuing hardware-software co-design to optimize algorithmic execution in resource-constrained environments. To secure the way forward, the industry must collaboratively deploy lightweight, quantum-safe protocols across 6G networks and edge ecosystems, ensuring long-term digital resilience before the quantum threat fully materializes.

Dr. Rajan M. A is a Distinguished Principal Scientist and Head of the Cyber Security & Privacy Research Area at TCS Research, Bangalore. With over 26 years of experience, he has led and contributed to impactful innovations spanning cryptography, cybersecurity, IoT systems, spacecraft technologies, and network management. He holds an exceptional multidisciplinary academic background, including a B.E., M.Tech., and Ph.D. in Computer Science & Engineering; M.Sc., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Mathematics; and an M.A. in Psychology. Dr. Rajan began his professional career at ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre, where he spent five years contributing to the realization of multiple spacecraft missions. In 2005, he joined Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and worked on Optical Network Management Systems for Lucent Bell Labs for five years. For the past 15 years, he has been a key member of TCS Research, driving advanced research and innovation. His research interests span the Cyber Security domain, including Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Security, Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning (PPML), Cloud Security, IoT Risk Assessment, and Security Architecture. Dr. Rajan is a prolific innovator and researcher, having filed over 180 patents, with 85 granted to date, and authored more than 70 publications in leading international journals and conferences. He is an IEEE Senior Member and actively contributes to national standardization and policy initiatives. He is a key contributor to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Task Force under India's National Quantum Mission (NQM), contributing to the national report on the implementation of a quantum-safe ecosystem in India and helping shape the country's quantum-safe security roadmap. In addition, he serves on the Expert Committee constituted by the Office of the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), Government of India, contributing to the evaluation of cryptographic standards, digital signature certificate frameworks, public key infrastructure (PKI) modernization, and recommendations for the adoption of post-quantum cryptography within India's digital trust ecosystem. He also serves on academic advisory boards and has played a significant role in translating advanced cybersecurity research into enterprise-scale solutions covering quantum-safe cryptography, privacy-preserving systems, trustworthy AI, and digital trust technologies.

The rapid development of quantum computing poses a threat to the widely used and deployed cryptographic algorithms. This talk will examine threats like Harvest Now Decrypt Later, and discuss the NIST-approved cryptographic standards ML-KEM (FIPS 203), ML-DSA (FIPS 204), and SLH-DSA (FIPS 205), which are pivotal milestones in the migration towards quantum-safe security. We will also explore what's happening in the open-source community with Open Quantum Safe, OpenSSL, liboqs etc., and touch upon the different milestones in the migration journey like classification, inventory, agility and remediation. This talk will further cover the changes underway in PKCS#11 standards and Hardware Security Modules towards implementing quantum-safe algorithms for enterprise adoption, along with some considerations and challenges associated with moving towards Post-Quantum Cryptography.

Divya K Konoor is a Senior Technical Staff Member in IBM Z Systems (Mainframe) and the Chief Architect for offerings like IBM Digital Asset Haven, Hyper Protect Crypto Services, IBM Digital Asset Offline Signing Orchestrator and other Hyper Protect On-Prem and Cloud Offerings. With over two decades of experience in the industry, her areas of expertise include Security, Digital Assets and Confidential Computing. She is a passionate speaker and product evangelist with multiple blogs, technical articles, patents and IP publications, including in WeQuity Spotlight, IBM AoT, OpenStack Summit, ACM K and IEEE CCEM. She is a technical committee member at WinTechCon and has been a speaker at GHCI and OpenStack India Days.

Quantum communication promises something no classical system can offer: security guaranteed by physics rather than by mathematical difficulty. Yet before a single quantum key can travel between a network in space and the Earth below, something far less exotic must work first: a beam of light must cross the atmosphere and arrive exactly where intended—reliably, in daylight, through turbulence, onto a detector a few centimetres across, from a satellite moving at several kilometres per second. This talk approaches quantum-secure communication from the infrastructure layer upward. Free-space optical links are governed by beam divergence, atmospheric turbulence, background light, precision pointing and tracking, and an unforgiving link budget. At the single-photon level, where amplification and retransmission are impossible, every one of these constraints becomes sharper rather than softer. Tracing the progression from high-rate classical optical downlinks to quantum key distribution and satellite quantum networks, I will identify the engineering the two share, mark where they genuinely diverge, and draw out the consequences for deployment timelines and for the division of labour between post-quantum cryptography and QKD. The optical highway is the on-ramp; the quantum highway is built on top of it.

Dr. Rohit Ramakrishnan is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at QOSMIC - a deep tech venture by a team of quantum scientists and satellite engineers with space heritage, based out of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. As a C V Raman Post Doctoral Fellow at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), He specialise in Photonic Quantum Computing and Quantum Machine Learning, blending theoretical knowledge with experimental and design capabilities. He actively engage with international quantum technology research teams as a researcher and collaborator. Expert in team building and fostering collaborations beyond academic disciplines, geographies, and cultures. Public Speaker and Co-author of "The Quantum Internet: The Second Quantum Revolution" published by Cambridge University Press

Dr. P. V. Ananda Mohan received his Ph.D. degree from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, in 1975. He has been associated with Indian Telephone Industries Limited, Bangalore, and Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Bangalore/Hyderabad, where he was involved with R&D in telecommunications, particularly in encryption system design. He later served as Technology Advisor at the Centre for Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Bangalore, from 2014 to 2020. Dr. Mohan has published five books, including one with Prentice Hall (London), one with Kluwer Academic Publishers, and three with Birkhauser, Boston, U.S.A., covering areas such as Mixed Signal VLSI Design, Analog Filters, and Residue Number Systems. He has published several research papers in leading journals, including IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, IET Electronics Letters, and Circuits, Systems, and Signal Processing (CSSP). Dr. Mohan is a Life Fellow of IEEE (U.S.A.), Fellow of IETE (India), and Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering (FNAE).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Technologies are emerging as transformative tools in cybersecurity. AI enables intelligent threat detection, time series analysis, anomaly identification, automated response, and predictive security analytics, while quantum technologies offer new approaches to secure communication and cryptography. At the same time, advances in quantum computing pose significant challenges to existing encryption methods, creating an urgent need for post-quantum cryptographic solutions. This lecture explores the complementary roles of AI and quantum technologies in strengthening cybersecurity, the emerging threats associated with quantum computing, and future opportunities for building resilient, intelligent, and quantum-safe security systems.

Dr. Deepak Mishra is working as Professor in the Department of Avionics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum. Currently, he leads the Computer Vision and Virtual Reality Centre of Excellence, dedicated to advancing algorithms for computer vision and virtual reality applications. Prior to his tenure at IIST, Dr. Mishra held positions as a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA (2007-2009), and in the Image Processing division of CMC Limited (TCS) Hyderabad (2009-2010). He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in 2007. From December 2019 to January 2023, he served as the head of the Avionics department. Additionally, he currently holds the position of Chair for the IEEE GRSS Kerala chapter. He has multiple projects from ISRO, DHR, TIH and other government agencies. His ongoing research endeavors focus on developing deep learning-based algorithms for computer vision applications and innovating architectures for deep learning. Noteworthy accolades include the SSI Young Scientist Award in 2012 and multiple research grants from ISRO and other funding agencies. His prolific research output includes 02 book chapters and over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Under his mentorship, numerous graduate and postgraduate students have been recognized with the INAE Best Project Award. Currently he is serving as Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Generative Artificial Intelligence Applications in Engineering Education (GAIAEEC) at global level.

Quantum technologies are often presented through algorithms, networks, and end-use systems. However, their performance ultimately depends on physical materials capable of generating, controlling, and detecting quantum signals. This talk will present an application-oriented view of how indigenous materials capability can strengthen India's emerging quantum ecosystem. I will introduce the experimental approach of the Quantum Materials Magneto-Transport Laboratory at IIT Delhi—from selecting promising functional materials and growing high-quality single crystals to crystallographic orientation, property measurement, and performance validation under demanding conditions. Particular emphasis will be placed on two complementary directions: nonlinear crystals used for quantum communication and photonics, including our ongoing DRDO-supported program, and topological, chiral and magnetic quantum materials exhibiting unusual electrical, thermal, and optical responses relevant to future sensing, spintronic, and low-power technologies. These activities build upon an extensive publication portfolio in leading and elite journals, including: Nature, Science, Nature Physics, Physical Review Letters, and related publications. The objective, however, is not material discovery alone. The larger goal is to establish reproducible crystal-growth processes, measurable material specifications, and a domestic experimental capability that can support technology development. The talk will conclude with a practical academia-industry model in which industry defines the application and performance requirements, our laboratory develops and benchmarks the material platform, and engineering partners undertake component integration, packaging, scale-up and system qualification. Such partnerships can help India build the materials, knowledge, and skilled workforce required for reliable and strategically important quantum technologies.

Dr. Kaustuv Manna is an experimental physicist and crystal-growth researcher at the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), where he leads research at the intersection of quantum materials, advanced crystal technology, and extreme-condition transport. His work focuses on developing and understanding high-quality single crystals with applications across quantum communication, quantum sensing, spintronics, and strategic functional materials. His research spans topological and magnetic quantum materials—including chiral semimetals, Weyl and Heusler systems, and kagome magnets—as well as nonlinear crystals and functional oxides.Prof. Manna has led and contributed to major research programmes supported by organisations including DRDO, SERB, the Aeronautics Research and Development Board, and the Max Planck Society. His current DRDO-supported programme focuses on high-quality nonlinear crystals for quantum communication, while his broader research investigates quantum materials and their behaviour under extreme temperature and magnetic-field conditions. He has authored 90+ peer-reviewed research papers, with work appearing in leading journals including Nature, Science, and Nature Reviews Materials, and has two patent filings. His research has also received recognition including the DAE Young Scientist Research Award and a Max Planck India Partner Group.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) has been central to establishing digital trust, enabling identity, authentication, and secure communication at scale. As quantum computing challenges existing cryptographic systems, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum key distribution (QKD) are emerging as complementary approaches towards quantum-safe security. But where does QKD fit within the security infrastructure we already have? Drawing on our experience at Qrypta Comm in developing quantum communication systems, this talk explores the practical interface between QKD and existing digital-trust infrastructure. How might QKD coexist with PKI and PQC? What role should authentication, key management, and network orchestration play? And what changes as we move from individual quantum links towards deployable quantum-secure networks? Rather than proposing a definitive architecture, the talk aims to explore these questions and open a dialogue between the quantum communication and digital-trust communities on what the path from today's infrastructure to tomorrow's quantum-secure networks could look like.

Harinee Natarajan is a researcher and entrepreneur working at the intersection of quantum communications, photonics, and cybersecurity. She is the Co-founder and CEO of Qrypta Comm, an IISc spin-off focused on developing deployable quantum-secure communication solutions, including Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), for critical infrastructure and high-security applications. She is also associated with Prof. Varun Raghunathan's lab in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, where her work focuses on translating advances in quantum communication into practical communication technologies. Through Qrypta Comm, Harinee works on the challenges of moving quantum communication from experimental systems towards real-world networks, with a particular interest in the convergence of quantum technologies, optical communication, digital security, and infrastructure deployment.

Prof. C.E. Veni Madhavan obtained his academic degrees, B.E.(Electrical Engineering) from College of Engineering, Madras, in 1969, M.E (Control Systems) from BITS Pilani, in 1971 and PhD (Control theory) from Indian Institute of Science in 1975. He worked in the industry, Air India (1976-1977), National Informatics Centre (1977- 1982), before joining the Computer Science and Automation department of IISc in 1983. He was a senior professor in the CSA department and retired formally in August 2014. He was the Chairman of CSA department during 1998-2000. He was invited to head the DRDO laboratory, SAG, New Delhi, during 2000-2003. His current research areas of interest are computational linguistics and pragmatic cryptanalysis. He continues to work, in IISc, on three R&D projects in the areas of cryptography and natural language processing and on several technical advisory tasks spanning government policy and academic and research mentorship. He has worked on many scientific, industrial consulting and development projects sponsored by government and corporate sectors in these areas. He has published over 80 papers in refereed journals and conferences, and delivered over 200 invited talks in national conferences and universities. He has guided 16 PhD, 12 MS and over 100 ME theses. He is the co-author of a book on Public-key Cryptography published in India in 2009. He is the co-author of a recently filed Indian Patent on a New encryption algorithm. An international patent on this is being filed. Some of his project engagements were in the areas of cryptanalysis (MCIT), cryptography (TCoE-DOT) and cognitive networks (DST, DRDO). He was a co- investigator in a multi-institutional consortium project funded by CEFIPRA-IFCPAR (2012-2015). The collaborative project between, IISc (his group), TCS, University of Nice (France) and Gemalto (France), was on the design and development of various financial inclusion platforms on the mobile telephone infrastructure. He developed a system for handling ecash and ewallet applications based on a novel design of a digital analogue of denominational fiat currency. He also built a cash-transaction simulator. He was the General Chair of the conference ADCOM 2017 of ACSSS on the theme of block chains and cryptocurrencies and the Chairman of the INAE Engineers Conclave 2017 on the theme digital economy. He obtained in 2001, an award by the Mathematical Association of India, for distinguished services in mathematics education and research. He obtained in March 2011, an award by IISc, for Excellence in Research in Engineering. He and co-authors obtained a Best Paper Prize in July 2011, in Boston USA, in the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. He was an Associate Faculty of the Centre for Neuroscience of IISc. He was the Chief Executive of the Society for Innovation and Development (SID) of IISc, during 2006-2012. He is closely associated with activities of the professional bodies, the Cryptology Research Society of India (CRSI), the Ramanujan Mathematical Society (RMS), ACS, INAE. He also works very closely with the government policy and R&D funding panels of DST, IFCPAR, MCIT, DRDO, NRB, NSCS, NTRO and with academic councils of universities and research centers, CRRAIMSCS, DSU, SASTRA, AMRITA, as member or Chairman of technical expert committees .

Krishna Prasad Shastry is Chief Technologist at HPE Labs India Advanced Development, where he leads strategic work in emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, quantum computing, and high-performance networking. He has guided multiple research and advanced development initiatives in big data, in-storage computing, AI/ML, and memory-driven computing, and is a co-inventor of Swarm Learning. More recently, he has contributed to projects such as Homefleet Data Intelligence and is currently focused on AI inferencing solutions and accelerating storage and network stacks for GenAI inferencing.

Ashish Upadhyay specialises in railway systems, critical infrastructure protection, and operational technology (OT) cybersecurity at Cylus, an Israel-based global leader in railway cybersecurity, where he works with rail operators and infrastructure owners to strengthen the resilience of mission-critical transportation networks. Previously, Ashish served as CEO of Sensonic, an Austrian technology company delivering AI-driven fibre-optic sensing, digital twins, drone-based inspection, and intelligent rail infrastructure monitoring solutions. He began his career with Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), contributing to major Indian Railways infrastructure projects, before joining the French multinational Alstom, where he led the design and deployment of safety-critical signalling and train control systems for major metro rail projects and established strategic R&D programmes. Ashish is the recipient of the IRSE India S&T National Award 2026 and the UITP Young Researchers Award, presented in Stockholm. He holds multiple patents and has authored several technical publications. He serves as an Honorary Advisor to IIT Madras and has delivered sessions at IIT Kharagpur. He has also contributed to the 29th Joint Civil-Military Training Programme on National Security at LBSNAA, Mussoorie, and led cybersecurity exercises and engagements across Asia Pacific region. Ashish holds advanced degrees in Electronics and Communication Engineering and Engineering Physics, along with an MBA from Tel Aviv University and HEC Paris, and has received numerous awards and scholarships for academic excellence, research, innovation, and leadership. His work spans railway cybersecurity, critical infrastructure resilience, safety-critical systems, emerging technologies, and mission-critical infrastructure.

Dr. Asvija is currently serving as Scientist F at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). As the Mission Director for Quantum Technologies at C-DAC, he leads and oversees a range of projects spanning multiple verticals, including quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum applications. His research interests include quantum accelerators, hybrid HPC-quantum computing, and emerging application areas of quantum technologies. Prior to his current role, he worked extensively on projects in High-Performance Computing (HPC), Cloud Computing, and Grid Computing.