New Delhi | Telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said the country's first quantum computing-based telecom network link is now operational in the national capital.

While speaking at the first international quantum enclave, Vaishnaw said that the quantum communication link is now operational between Sanchar Bhawan and National Informatics Centre office located in CGO Complex in the national capital.

"The first quantum secure communication link between Sanchar Bhawan and NIC, CGO complex is now operational," Vaishnaw said and announced a Rs 10 lakh prize money for ethical hackers who can break the encryption of the system.

"We are also launching a hackathon, a challenge round, for anybody who breaks this system and system developed by C-DoT, we will be giving Rs 10 lakh per break," Vaishnaw said.

The minister inaugurated a small exhibition of quantum computing firms and invited them to run pilot projects for communications networks and Indian Railways.