QuBeats, a deep-tech startup working on quantum sensing, has received a Rs 25 crore grant after winning the ADITI 2.0 Defence Challenge. The startup will use the money to build a Quantum Positioning System (QPS) for the Indian Navy. This system will help naval ships and submarines navigate even in places where GPS does not work or can be misled.
In many defence operations, satellite-based navigation systems like GPS can be jammed or tricked by enemies. QuBeats is working on a solution that does not rely on satellites at all. Its system uses quantum magnetometers, which can pick up tiny changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. These changes are unique to every location and help in knowing where one is, just like a digital map, but without GPS.
This new system is useful not just for defence but also for civilian use. It can be used in deep sea exploration, underground mining, and disaster zones where regular signals don’t reach. The total global market for such technology is estimated to be around USD 10 billion. QuBeats is also looking to raise more funds from private investors to speed up its work.
Founded by a team of Indian researchers with strong international backgrounds, QuBeats is one of the few companies in India working in the field of quantum sensing. The team includes Mallikarjun Karra, a PhD candidate at Max Planck Society; Madhu Talluri, a researcher who worked at Lawrence Berkeley Lab; Shouvik Mukherjee, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Maryland; and Rajat Sethi, who studied at MIT, Harvard, and IIT Kharagpur.
QuBeats is not just building navigation tools. The startup is also working on other products using quantum science. These include gyroscopes, tiny atomic clocks, sensors that can detect targets at great distances, and even radar systems based on Rydberg atoms—a field that is still new in India.
“Winning the ADITI 2.0 Challenge is not just a validation of our technology, but a signal that India is ready for the quantum age,” the founders of QuBeats said in a joint statement.