For more than two decades, Colonel Sai Shankar P, VSM (Retd.), served in the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals, working on critical communications and cybersecurity systems. Today, he is applying that experience to a very different frontier: quantum technology. As the Founder of QClairvoyance Quantum Labs, he is working at the intersection of quantum computing, drug discovery, cybersecurity and India’s growing deep-tech ecosystem.
In this featured interview, Colonel Sai Shankar discusses what motivated his transition from military service to entrepreneurship, the real-world applications of quantum technology, and the challenges Indian startups face in building globally competitive quantum solutions. He also shares his perspective on post-quantum cybersecurity, QClairvoyance’s work in quantum-assisted drug discovery, the National Quantum Mission, and his vision for India’s quantum ecosystem by 2030.
Q1. After serving for over two decades in the Indian Army, what inspired you to transition into entrepreneurship and launch QClairvoyance Quantum Labs? How did your military experience shape your approach to building a deep-tech company?
Serving in the Indian Army taught us to work with discipline, adapt to changing situations, and stay focused on solving the problem at hand. Those principles have stayed with us and continue to shape how we are building QClairvoyance Quantum Labs. It also taught us that a Nation is strong when it is product oriented rather than service oriented.
Over two decades in the Corps of Signals involved building and securing critical communication systems for the Army. One of the significant initiatives during that time was SAI (Secure Application for Internet), an encrypted in house messaging platform for the Armed Forces. While it was recognised by the Ministry of Defence, the bigger takeaway was the importance of identifying critical gaps and developing practical solutions to address them.
That experience naturally led us to forthcoming and futuristic Quantum Technologies. Having working extensively in communications and cybersecurity for more than two decades, we could see that advances in quantum computing would eventually reshape digital security. The encryption standards that protect banking, healthcare and government systems today will need to evolve in the coming years. At the same time, quantum computing was also showing immense promise in areas such as chemistry and drug discovery. We saw an opportunity to contribute in both these areas and founded QClairvoyance Quantum Labs in Hyderabad in 2024.
My years in the Army continue to influence how we work. We believe in delivering before making claims, reviewing our work honestly, and constantly improving based on what we learn. Research rarely follows a straight path, so being able to make informed decisions with limited information and adapt quickly is equally important. Those are habits we developed in the service and they remain central to how we build the company today.
For us, this was never about moving from one career to another. It was about applying the same problem-solving mindset to a different field. Earlier, our focus was on strengthening secure communication systems. Today, it is on building quantum technologies that can contribute to India’s technological capabilities in the years ahead, because I am of the firm opinion that a Nation’s strength depends upon what it can do on its own rather that what it can borrow from others.
Q2. Quantum Technologies is often seen as a technology of the future. Which real-world applications do you believe will have the biggest impact over the next five years, and where is QClairvoyance focusing its efforts?
Quantum computing is often discussed as a future technology, but over the next five years, I believe the biggest impact will come from practical applications where quantum and classical computers work together. This hybrid approach allows quantum processors to handle the parts of a problem they are best suited for, while conventional computers manage the rest. We are already seeing meaningful progress with this model.
We experienced this first-hand earlier this year while working with a research team on a 24-qubit processor. We successfully simulated a water molecule with a level of chemical accuracy that is relevant for scientific research. We then applied the same approach to Amantadine, a pharmaceutical compound, by breaking the molecule into smaller fragments, processing them on the quantum processor and combining the results without compromising accuracy. It demonstrated that quantum computing can already support meaningful research using the hardware available today.
Beyond drug discovery, post-quantum cybersecurity will be another major area of impact. Organisations need to start preparing well before quantum computers become capable of breaking today’s encryption standards. Sensitive data being collected today could remain valuable for many years, making early preparation essential. Another promising area is quantum sensing, which has significant potential across industries and is expected to see increasing adoption over the coming years. We are already building capabilities in this space alongside our work in drug discovery and cybersecurity.
At QClairvoyance, our focus is on applications where quantum technologies can deliver measurable value in the near term. We believe the industry will progress through steady advances and practical use cases, and that’s where we are concentrating our efforts.
Q3. One of QClairvoyance’s core missions is to build indigenous quantum technologies in India. What are the biggest challenges Indian startups face in competing with global quantum leaders, and how can India strengthen its position in this space?
India has never lacked ambition or talent in quantum technologies. The bigger challenges are access to patient capital and access to the hardware required for advanced research. Both are critical for building globally competitive deep-tech companies, and both are areas where steady progress is being made.
Globally, many quantum companies have the advantage of long-term funding that allows them to spend years developing technology before demonstrating commercial outcomes. Indian startups, including ours in the early stages, operate with far more limited resources. That naturally makes us more selective about the problems we take on and places greater emphasis on delivering measurable progress. At the same time, it also highlights the need for investors who understand that deep-tech businesses follow a very different growth cycle from conventional software startups.
Access to quantum hardware has been another important challenge. Until recently, most Indian startups had to rely on overseas infrastructure to conduct advanced experiments. Our own work in quantum-assisted drug discovery, for example, was carried out on a processor developed by a Finnish company. That simply reflected the availability of infrastructure at the time.
The ecosystem, however, is beginning to evolve. The launch of Quantum Valley in Amaravati in February 2026, with IBM’s largest quantum computer in India, is an important milestone. The next step is to ensure that this infrastructure is accessible to startups, researchers and universities across the country so that it becomes a shared national resource for innovation.
The National Quantum Mission has also laid a strong foundation through research hubs at IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi. It’s equally encouraging to see many startups in quantum field are receiving support under the Mission. Initiatives like these strengthen confidence in the ecosystem and encourage more entrepreneurs to build cutting-edge technologies in India.
From a talent perspective, India has no shortage of exceptional scientists and engineers. The opportunity now is to create an ecosystem where they have access to world-class research facilities, long-term funding and meaningful problems to solve. When those ingredients come together, retaining talent becomes a much more natural outcome.
India does not need to compete by matching the scale of investment seen in countries such as the US or China. Our strength lies in our engineering talent, software expertise and growing research ecosystem. By focusing on areas where we can build globally relevant capabilities and encouraging stronger collaboration between academia, industry and government, India can establish a meaningful leadership position in quantum technologies.
Q4. Cybersecurity is entering a new era with the rise of quantum computers. How prepared are Indian enterprises for post-quantum security, and what immediate steps should organizations take to safeguard their digital infrastructure?
Indian enterprises now have a clear timeline to prepare for post-quantum security, and it is closer than many organisations realise. The Department of Science and Technology’s task force has recommended that critical sectors such as defence, power, telecom and core government systems begin transitioning to quantum-safe security by 2027. For most large organisations, that falls within their current technology planning cycle, so preparations need to begin now.
One of the key reasons for acting early is the concept of “harvest now, decrypt later.” Sensitive encrypted data can be collected today and stored with the expectation that future quantum computers may eventually be able to decrypt it. For organisations managing long-life information such as banking records, healthcare data, government archives or defence communications, this is a real risk that needs to be factored into long-term cybersecurity planning.
From our interactions with industry, including at the Quantum Resiliency for BFSI workshop during FINSEC2026, it is clear that organisations recognise the importance of post-quantum security. The bigger challenge is understanding where encryption is currently used across their systems. Before investing in new technologies or solutions, organisations should first create a comprehensive inventory of their existing cryptographic assets. Once that visibility is in place, they can prioritise the transition, beginning with the most sensitive data and systems that require long-term protection.
The encouraging part is that the technology standards are already in place. NIST finalised its post-quantum cryptography standards in August 2024, providing organisations with a clear direction for adoption. The focus now should be on preparedness. Understanding where current encryption is deployed and developing a phased migration plan are the most important first steps towards building quantum-resilient digital infrastructure.
Q5. QClairvoyance is also working on quantum-assisted drug discovery. Could you share how quantum computing can transform pharmaceutical research and what breakthroughs your team has achieved so far?
Drug discovery is a long and expensive process because researchers spend years trying to accurately predict how molecules will behave before they move into laboratory testing. While classical computing has made significant advances, it still has limitations when it comes to modelling complex molecular interactions with the level of precision needed for drug discovery. As a result, many potential drug candidates fail only after substantial time and investment.
At QClairvoyance, we are using a hybrid approach that combines quantum computing with conventional simulation techniques. Quantum processors are used for the parts of the molecular simulation where higher accuracy is most valuable, while classical computing handles the remaining workload. The objective is not to replace existing drug discovery processes, but to improve the accuracy of early-stage simulations so researchers can make better-informed decisions much earlier in the development cycle.
Earlier this year, working with a research team on IQM’s 24-qubit processor, we achieved an important milestone. We first simulated a water molecule with a level of chemical accuracy that is meaningful for scientific research. We then applied the same methodology to Amantadine, a pharmaceutical compound, by dividing the molecule into smaller fragments, processing them on the quantum processor and reconstructing the complete molecular model without compromising accuracy. This demonstrated that today’s quantum hardware can already support meaningful molecular simulations that are difficult to achieve using classical methods alone.
For us, the significance lies beyond a single molecule. Amantadine has been studied for many years, but the methodology we have developed is repeatable and can be extended to larger and more complex molecular systems as quantum hardware continues to evolve. That is where we see the greatest long-term potential. Our next phase of research is focused on applying this approach to more complex molecules where improved simulation accuracy can make a meaningful difference to pharmaceutical research.
Q6. India has launched ambitious initiatives under the National Quantum Mission. In your view, what should be the government’s and industry’s top priorities to create a globally competitive quantum ecosystem over the next decade?
India’s National Quantum Mission has created a strong foundation for the country’s quantum ecosystem. The establishment of four research hubs, the roadmap for building quantum computers, the planned 2,000-kilometre quantum communication network, and the achievement of a 1,000-kilometre quantum key distribution milestone within two years are all significant steps. The next phase should focus on translating this infrastructure into research, products and real-world applications.
Funding will continue to play an important role. India has committed around ₹6,000 crore, or just over US$700 million, over eight years under the Mission. While countries such as China, the US, the UK and Germany have invested substantially more, I don’t believe success depends on matching those numbers. India’s opportunity lies in investing strategically in areas where our engineering talent, software expertise and research capabilities can create globally competitive solutions.
There are a few priorities that can help accelerate this progress. Government adoption of quantum-safe technologies can create an important early market for Indian companies and encourage wider industry adoption. At the same time, deep-tech startups need funding models that recognise the longer development cycles involved in building advanced technologies. Equally important is continuing to encourage international collaborations. Our own work in quantum-assisted drug discovery benefited from access to a Finnish quantum processor, allowing us to validate our research much earlier. Collaborations like these complement India’s efforts to build domestic capabilities and help accelerate innovation.
For industry, the focus should be on converting research into commercially viable products. It is encouraging to see startups receiving support through the National Quantum Mission. We need to see more examples where research moves successfully from laboratories to funded startups and eventually into products and industry deployments. Companies also do not need to wait for fully mature quantum hardware before getting involved. There is significant opportunity today in developing software, applications and use cases that will grow alongside advances in quantum hardware.
Ultimately, the success of the National Quantum Mission will be measured by the strength of the ecosystem it creates—one that encourages research, supports innovation, helps startups scale and enables India to build globally relevant quantum technologies. I believe the building blocks are already in place, and the next decade presents a significant opportunity to turn that foundation into long-term leadership.
Q7. Looking ahead, where do you envision QClairvoyance Quantum Labs by 2030, and what advice would you give to young engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs who want to build careers in quantum computing and deep technology?
By 2030, we want QClairvoyance Quantum Labs to be recognised for building technologies that have made a meaningful impact. Whether it is helping accelerate drug discovery, strengthening quantum-safe cybersecurity, or contributing to India’s growing quantum ecosystem, our focus is on creating solutions that address real-world challenges. For us, lasting impact will always matter more than milestones such as funding or recognition.
Over the next few years, we want to deepen our work in both drug discovery and cybersecurity. In healthcare, our goal is to move from research demonstrations to meaningful collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and apply our approach to larger, more complex molecular systems. In cybersecurity, we want to work closely with Indian enterprises as they prepare for the transition to quantum-safe infrastructure, particularly as the 2027 timeline approaches. At the same time, we also hope to contribute to developing the next generation of quantum researchers and engineers in India.
For students and young engineers, my advice is simple: start learning now. A strong foundation in mathematics, physics and programming will take you a long way in quantum computing. Today, access to quantum hardware through cloud platforms has made it possible for anyone with curiosity and commitment to begin experimenting. You don’t need to wait for the perfect opportunity or be part of a specialised laboratory to get started.
For entrepreneurs, it’s important to recognise that deep-tech innovation takes time. Building technologies in areas like quantum computing requires patience, persistence and a long-term outlook. Progress may seem gradual in the early years, but every step adds to the foundation. If you stay focused on solving meaningful problems and continue learning, the opportunities in this field will only grow as the technology matures.
