Compliance Advisory

Post-Quantum Cryptography

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is no longer a research topic — it is a compliance obligation with real deadlines for critical infrastructure operators in India, and a sensible planning horizon for everyone else.

What post-quantum cryptography law actually involves

Legal advisory on post-quantum cryptography sits at the intersection of cybersecurity regulation, data protection law and commercial contracting. It typically involves interpreting government mandates and standards, documenting a defensible cryptographic risk assessment, updating vendor and cloud contracts to require PQC readiness, and building crypto-agility into agreements so future transitions don't require renegotiating from scratch.

The Indian regulatory picture

National guidance now directs critical information infrastructure sectors — including defence, power, telecommunications, space and core government systems — toward staged post-quantum cryptography implementation, with earlier deadlines for critical infrastructure and a longer runway for the broader economy. Organisations outside formally designated critical infrastructure should treat these timelines as a sensible internal planning benchmark rather than assuming the obligation does not eventually reach them.

Where this fits with data protection

Post-quantum readiness increasingly informs what regulators and courts will treat as "reasonable security safeguards" under frameworks like India's DPDP Act — particularly for long-lived sensitive data such as health, financial and government records. See our full breakdown on data protection & privacy or our practice page on quantum cybersecurity & cryptography.