India Sets Goal to Lead World in 6G Technology

Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced that India aims to lead the world in 6G technology, transitioning from a technology standards taker to a standards setter. Speaking at the 10th India Mobile Congress in New Delhi, Scindia set a target to increase the national 5G user base from 550 million to 1 billion by 2030. He noted that the Bharat 6G Alliance, a consortium of 90 institutions, has already established 7,700 patents, including 4,400 international patents, to support these ambitions.

During the same event, Nokia executive Dropmann urged the Indian government to ensure the timely availability of sufficient spectrum to facilitate the 6G rollout. Dropmann stated that 6G is expected to be commercially available by 2030 and emphasized that network operators may require at least 200 MHz of spectrum each in commercially viable bands. He highlighted that 6G is being designed specifically to support AI-driven traffic and that adequate spectrum serves as the foundation for India's leadership goals.

Scindia attributed India's broader digital transformation, which saw broadband subscribers grow from 60 million to 1 billion over the last decade, to a vision established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.