When CERT-In published its Technical Guidelines Version 2.0 in July 2025, it formally defined the Quantum Bill of Materials (QBOM) as a distinct inventory category – alongside SBOM, CBOM, AIBOM and HBOM. No other national regulator had done this. But at the same time, the tooling market has not caught up. There are no purpose-built standalone QBOM generation platforms as of now but there are credible CBOM tools, who are extending their capabilities to QBOM. In this blog, we try to decode the QBOM tool landscape.
What QBOM means under CERT-In
Before evaluating any tool claiming QBOM capability, you need to understand what CERT-In’s definition covers. This is necessary because it is narrower and more specific than most vendor descriptions suggest.
Under CERT-In Technical Guidelines Version 2.0, a QBOM inventories quantum computing components. That means:
- quantum algorithms
- quantum security protocols
- quantum hardware elements and
- quantum software dependencies
It is designed for organisations building, integrating or consuming quantum computing technology, and it is a compliance requirement for regulated entities operating under CERT-In’s framework.
This is distinct from a CBOM, which inventories classical cryptographic assets: RSA keys, ECC certificates, TLS configurations, cryptographic libraries like OpenSSL and BouncyCastle, and HSM-managed key material.
Why dedicated QBOM generation are around the corner
It is mainly a timing issue. CERT-In’s QBOM definition is India-specific and was introduced in mid-2025. The global tooling market – which develops platforms for international enterprise environments – has not had time to build dedicated QBOM generation capability to the CERT-In specification. The demand signal is new. So, the tooling response will follow.
In the meantime, most organisations do not yet have quantum components in their production environments. The QBOM requirement will become operationally significant for Indian enterprises in Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the IDRBT’s three-phase banking migration framework when quantum computing components actually enter the stack. For most organisations today, that phase is ahead, not current.
What is current, and what has a hard regulatory deadline, is Phase 1: cryptographic discovery and CBOM generation. The National Quantum Mission (NQM) Task Force’s December 2027 foundations deadline applies to that phase.
What generates useful QBOM-adjacent output today
The practical foundation for QBOM compliance readiness is a complete, continuously maintained CBOM.
A CBOM gives you a structured, machine-readable inventory of every classical cryptographic asset across your environment such as algorithms, keys, certificates, libraries and protocols.
It is the evidence base that both CBOM compliance and future QBOM submissions will draw from. You cannot build a QBOM without first having complete visibility into your cryptographic estate.
Platforms that scan across all discovery surfaces – source code, network traffic, container artifacts and HSM/KMS integrations – and produce CycloneDX-format output are the credible foundation for that work. CyberNX PQC solutions automate this discovery across all four surfaces, correlating findings into a single deduplicated CBOM aligned to CERT-In Technical Guidelines Version 2.0. This is the correct sequencing. CBOM first. QBOM compliance as quantum components enters your environment.
The IDRBT framework as a practical guide
The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), established by RBI, outlines a three-phase migration framework: Phase 1 covers cryptographic discovery and CBOM generation, Phase 2 covers hybrid classical and PQC pilots, and Phase 3 covers full deprecation of RSA and ECC.
QBOM becomes operationally relevant in Phase 2 and beyond – when quantum components actively enter production. For organisations in Phase 1, the deliverable is CBOM. That is where the 2027 NQM deadline sits.
Three questions to ask any vendor claiming QBOM capability
If a vendor presents QBOM generation as a current capability, three questions will quickly establish whether the claim is substantive.
1. Does the tool distinguish between CBOM and QBOM
Does the tool that you come across differentiates CBOM (classical cryptography inventory) and QBOM (quantum component inventory) as CERT-In defines them? A vendor conflating the two either does not understand the regulatory distinction or is applying the label opportunistically.
2. Does the output map specifically to CERT-In’s QBOM field requirements
Does it satisfy requirements covering quantum algorithms, quantum security protocols, quantum hardware elements and quantum software dependencies – or is it a CBOM with a different label?
3. Does the platform support air-gapped Indian deployments for BFSI data residency?
Your cryptographic and quantum component inventory data is sensitive. It must stay on Indian infrastructure.
Also Read: QBOM vs CBOM Guide
What your team should do before QBOM tooling matures
The December 2027 NQM foundations deadline is a CBOM deadline. The three actions your team should take now are specific.
- Build a complete, continuously maintained CBOM across all four discovery surfaces. This is a Phase 1 requirement and an NQM deadline deliverable. It is also the foundation that every subsequent phase – including QBOM compliance – depends on.
- Map quantum-vulnerable algorithms within that CBOM. Identify every RSA, ECC and Diffie-Hellman asset that carries HNDL risk based on the data it protects and how long that data needs to stay confidential.
- Track CERT-In and DST NQM guidance as QBOM submission requirements formalise. Organisations with complete CBOM foundations will extend into QBOM compliance quickly when that guidance arrives. Organisations still working on Phase 1 discovery will not.
Conclusion
The honest picture: dedicated QBOM generation tools do not yet exist to the CERT-In specification. What does exist and what has a hard 2027 deadline behind it is CBOM generation and cryptographic discovery. That is where your team’s energy and budget should be focused right now.
CyberNX CBOM and PQC readiness solutions automate discovery across network, code, artifacts and HSM/KMS environments, producing CycloneDX output aligned to CERT-In, SEBI CSCRF and RBI requirements. Speak to our team about building the foundation your QBOM compliance will depend on.
QBOM Generation Tools FAQs
What is a QBOM and how is it different from a CBOM?
A CBOM inventories classical cryptographic assets – algorithms like RSA and ECC, TLS certificates, keys and cryptographic libraries. A QBOM, as defined by CERT-In, inventories quantum computing components: quantum algorithms, quantum security protocols, quantum hardware elements and quantum software dependencies. They are complementary requirements, not interchangeable ones.
Is QBOM mandatory for Indian enterprises now?
CERT-In’s July 2025 Technical Guidelines introduced QBOM as a formal inventory category. For regulated entities with quantum components in their systems, this is a real compliance expectation. For most Indian enterprises today – still in Phase 1 of their PQC migration – the immediate mandatory deliverable is CBOM generation and cryptographic discovery.
Does CyberNX offer QBOM generation?
CyberNX CBOM solutions provide the complete cryptographic discovery and CBOM generation foundation that precedes QBOM compliance requirements. As regulatory guidance for QBOM tooling matures, this CBOM foundation positions organisations to extend into QBOM compliance without starting from scratch.
