From Secure Communications to Quantum Innovation: Colonel Sai Shankar P on Building India Deep-Tech Future

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…