Leadership in 6G key to securing India's technological sovereignty: Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani
Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani
on Monday reviewed the ongoing initiatives under the
Bharat 6G Mission
, with a focus on government-funded research, progress in global standard-setting, and challenges affecting the ecosystem.
'Chaired a review meeting on
Bharat 6G
Mission to ensure that our efforts are truly outcome-oriented,' Pemmasani tweeted on the social media platform X.
'Discussed India's role in global
6G
standard-setting, progress of over 100 funded R&D proposals, and examined how far we've moved towards our objectives. Also sought to understand the challenges faced by innovators and the ecosystem,' he added.
Pemmasani said the government of India is committed to making India a global hub for the next generation of
telecom innovation
, adding that leadership in the
6G technology
will be vital to securing 'our technological sovereignty and digital prosperity'.
The minister and the stakeholders discussed the significance of the sixth-generation (6G) technology for India, which is expected to provide intelligent, secure and ultra-reliable applications in remote healthcare, smart agriculture, precision manufacturing and other verticals.
6G will also enable more innovative applications, including real-time sensing,
AI-driven networks
, and terabit-category speeds. The sixth-generation networks are expected to be commercialised from 2030, with multinational gear makers Nokia, Ericsson, and others, already working on relevant research and development (R&D) activities.
India aims to be among the countries shaping 6G networks.
The Bharat 6G Vision, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 23, 2023, has envisaged an ambitious path for India to design, develop, and deploy 6G technologies by 2030. The document has envisioned that India will have 10% of global IPRs in 6G, development of indigenous products, and deployment of affordable solutions.
Notably, the Bharat 6G Alliance, a collaborative platform of the industry, academia, startups, and others, has global partnerships with Japan, Singapore, and Finland in 6G. Besides, India is actively working on terahertz communication and AI-native networks.
During the meeting, Pemmasani reviewed R&D proposals funded by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) through the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) and other mechanisms.
The funds were released in this fiscal year, but the minister stressed on evaluating the actual progress, an industry executive told ETTelecom. Pemmasani directed that routine detailed reviews be conducted of the top funded projects, and suggested that regular interactions be held with beneficiaries to assess achievements and obstacles.
The meeting also examined India's participation in global standard-setting bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
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