New Delhi, October 31: India took another step towards building its own secure communication future on Friday, as Indian deep-tech company Nav Wireless Technologies unveiled a homegrown optical wireless system that pairs very high data speeds with quantum-based security. The system, called OpticSpectra 10G QKD, was showcased at India Mobile Congress 2026 in New Delhi, in the presence of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti.
The headline numbers explain why the launch drew attention at the telecom showcase. OpticSpectra 10G QKD is designed to carry data at up to 10 Gbps over optical wireless links of up to 5 km, without laying fibre along the full route. Instead of a cable, it uses tightly focused beams of light to move data between two points, and adds Quantum Key Distribution, a method that uses quantum principles to generate and exchange encryption keys.
What OpticSpectra 10G QKD actually does
Free Space Optical communication, the technology at the heart of the system, sends data through the air as light rather than through a physical fibre connection. That makes it useful in places where digging trenches and laying cable would be slow, expensive or impractical, such as across a river, between hilltop sites, or between buildings in a congested campus.
Quantum Key Distribution adds the security layer. In simple terms, it lets two ends of a link create and share encryption keys in a way that is rooted in quantum physics, so the keys themselves are far harder to intercept or copy unnoticed than keys exchanged by conventional means. NavTech is careful to position this as a security-oriented capability that must be correctly implemented and integrated, not magic, and that honesty matters in a field where quantum claims are often oversold.
Why telecom and defence are the first targets
For telecom operators, the immediate use case is capacity where fibre is difficult. A high-speed optical link can connect towers, data centres or remote sites quickly, and can serve as a backup path when a fibre route is damaged or congested.
For defence and strategic networks, the emphasis is on secure key distribution, rapid deployment and resilience. A link that does not depend on a buried cable is harder to cut, and a quantum-secured key exchange raises the bar for anyone trying to listen in.
- Speed: up to 10 Gbps, enough for high-capacity backhaul and data-heavy sites.
- Range: optical wireless links designed for up to 5 km.
- Security: Quantum Key Distribution for generating and exchanging cryptographic keys.
- Deployment: no full fibre trench needed along the link, so sites can be connected faster.
- Origin: designed and developed in India by Nav Wireless Technologies.
A made-in-India photonics push
The launch also fits a wider story at India Mobile Congress this year: Indian deep-tech firms moving from laboratory research to deployable systems. NavTech works on optical, laser and photonics technologies, and says OpticSpectra 10G QKD is part of that journey from research to product.
Speaking at the unveiling, TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said India’s progress in indigenous optical wireless communication and quantum technologies reflects the growing capabilities of the domestic technology ecosystem, and that innovations combining high-speed connectivity, secure communications and advanced photonics can contribute meaningfully to India’s digital infrastructure and technological self-reliance.
NavTech co-founder and chief technology officer Hardik Soni said the company’s objective is to combine high-speed optical wireless communication with advanced key-distribution capability in an India-developed platform for telecom, defence and strategic networks, and to take photonics technologies from Indian research into practical deployments. India Mobile Congress, he added, gives the company an important platform to demonstrate that transition.
What to watch next
An unveiling is not the same as a deployment, and the real test will come in field conditions. Optical wireless links depend on clear line of sight, and fog, heavy rain and dust can affect performance, which is why such systems are positioned as a complementary layer rather than a replacement for fibre.
The questions to watch are practical: how the system performs over its full 5 km range in Indian weather, how smoothly its key distribution integrates with existing network security, and which users sign up first. If those answers come back positive, quantum-secured optical wireless could become a useful building block alongside fibre, radio and satellite networks.
For now, the signal from New Delhi is clear: India is beginning to design and showcase advanced communication technology at home.
FAQs
What is OpticSpectra 10G QKD?
It is an India-developed Free Space Optical communication system unveiled by Nav Wireless Technologies at India Mobile Congress 2026, combining data speeds of up to 10 Gbps with Quantum Key Distribution capability.
How fast is it, and over what distance?
The system is designed for speeds of up to 10 Gbps over optical wireless links of up to 5 km.
What is Quantum Key Distribution?
It is a method that uses quantum principles to generate and exchange cryptographic keys, adding a security-oriented capability to the communication link when correctly implemented and integrated.
Who is it meant for?
Telecom operators, defence networks, strategic facilities and other security-sensitive users that need both high capacity and secure communication.
Was it unveiled at India Mobile Congress 2026?
Yes, at IMC 2026 in New Delhi on October 31, 2026, in the presence of TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti.
Watch for field trials and first deployments in the months ahead.
