Indian telecom companies are targeting a 10% share of global sixth-generation (6G) patents within the next three years, according to a statement from the Ministry of Communications. “Stakeholders Advisory Committee (SAC) members stressed the need to align research with ‘India’s needs’ and to establish a robust standards community,” the ministry said.
India has already initiated several measures, such as launching the Bharat 6G Vision document and the Bharat 6G Alliance, as well as frameworks for patent and intellectual property rights (IPR) support, and commissioning testbeds. With these efforts, the country aims to secure 10% of all 6G patents and contribute one-sixth to global standards while promoting India’s priorities. SAC outlined a three-year roadmap to achieve these goals, according to the ministry.
The proposals were discussed during the second meeting of the advisory committee on telecom service providers (TSPs), chaired by Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. The committee emphasized that widespread deployment of both wireline and intelligent wireless broadband networks with reliable connectivity is crucial for India to become a leader in the deep technology (deeptech) sector. “TSPs called for a supportive policy framework to drive investments towards achieving 100% broadband coverage in the country. They also discussed various factors and strategies to improve the quality of telecom services,” the statement noted.
Minister Scindia urged SAC members to outline a critical path for meeting the discussed targets and to define the roles of different stakeholders, including the government, in accomplishing them. “He also urged TSPs to take all necessary measures to ensure that citizens receive high-quality telecom services,” the ministry added.
Key industry leaders, including Pankaj Pawar, Managing Director of Reliance Jio, Akshaya Moondra, CEO of Vodafone Idea, Robert J. Ravi, Managing Director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Tejas Networks’ Chairman N. G. Subramaniam, and SP Kochhar, Director-General of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), attended the meeting.
