India Establishes 100 5G Labs to Power 6G Research Ambitions
The Indian government has launched 100 dedicated 5G laboratories nationwide to accelerate use-case development and build a robust foundation for 6G research. Announced by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), this initiative is part of a broader strategy to secure a 10% share of global 6G patents by 2030.
Key Developments
- 100 new 5G labs established across India
- Bharat 6G Alliance signs 10 international partnerships
- Target: 10% of global 6G intellectual property by 2030
- Over 100 dedicated 6G R&D projects currently underway
Government’s Multi-Pronged Strategy
Neeraj Mittal, Telecom Secretary, revealed these developments during the ‘Digital Communication’ session at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC 2025). He emphasized that telecommunications forms the bedrock of all productive activity and directly impacts national economic growth.
“India has achieved one of the fastest 5G rollouts globally,” Mittal stated, adding that the 100 5G labs will position the nation for leadership in next-generation technologies.
Focus Areas for 6G Development
The government’s approach supports research across critical domains including:
- Open RAN technology
- Indigenous semiconductor chipsets
- AI-based intelligent networks
- Regulatory sandboxes for innovation
Industry Collaboration and Future Roadmap
The ESTIC 2025 event, held from November 3-5, brought together over 3,000 participants from academia, research institutions, industry, and government. Panel discussions explored extending India’s 5G ecosystem, advancing indigenous Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) through NavIC L1 signals, and building disruptive technology stacks from Device-to-Multimedia (D2M) to 6G.
The conclave featured Nobel laureates, eminent scientists, innovators, and policymakers, highlighting India’s commitment to becoming a global leader in telecommunications technology.
