India Will Lead The World In 6G: Minister of Communications With over 30 crore mobile phones being produced annually, India has become the second-largest producer of mobile phones worldwide.

From indigenous 4G and 5G technologies to the government's unwavering focus on rural connectivity, India has highlighted how digital inclusion is becoming a cornerstone for the country's economic growth. With the alignment of public and private sectors and an aggressive push towards local manufacturing, India is poised to lead the world in the next wave of telecom advancements, including 6G. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the Minister of Communications and Minister for Development of the North-Eastern Region, delved into India's remarkable strides in digital inclusion, local telecom manufacturing and the broader economic implications of these advancements. As Scindia outlined, India's push towards digital connectivity is not just a technical upgrade but a fundamental driver of the nation's economic future.

Scindia began by reflecting on the dramatic changes in India's telecom sector over the last decade, highlighting the substantial growth in mobile and broadband connectivity. Ten years ago, India had 90 crore (900 million) mobile subscribers, a figure that has now surged to 170 crore (1.7 billion). Broadband subscriptions, which stood at 6 crore (60 million) a decade ago, have skyrocketed to 94 crore (940 million). This expansion is not just about more connections; it represents a shift in how India interacts with the world, paving the way for a more connected, digitally inclusive society.

"The inverse relationship between data costs and the growth in broadband penetration has been one of the defining characteristics of our telecom revolution," Scindia pointed out. He highlighted that the cost of 1 GB of data has plummeted from INR 289 to just INR 12, a 94 per cent reduction, making digital access affordable to millions of Indians.

This proliferation of affordable connectivity has fueled India's ambitions to not only consume but also manufacture telecom equipment, emphasizing the importance of self-reliance in an industry historically dominated by foreign players.

India as a Global Telecom Manufacturer

One of the most striking achievements Scindia mentioned was India's evolution into a significant player in global telecom manufacturing. A decade ago, India's mobile manufacturing capacity was valued at just INR 1,500 crore, but today it stands at a staggering INR 1.29 lakh crore. With over 30 crore mobile phones being produced annually, India has become the second-largest producer of mobile phones worldwide.

"We have gone from being followers in 3G and 4G to marching with the world in 5G, and I believe we will lead in 6G. Why do I say that with a fair degree of conviction? Because today, for the first time in our country, India has produced its own 4G telecom stack. We are only the sixth country in the world to possess that telecom technology," proclaimed Scindia. Collaborating with players like C-DOT, Tejas Networks, BSNL and TCS, the Indian government is rolling out a fully indigenous telecom stack that aims to revolutionize the country's digital infrastructure.

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, launched by the government, has further fueled investments in the telecom sector, resulting in INR 3,784 crore worth of investments, INR 55,000 crore in production and over INR 11,500 crore in exports. The sector has also created more than 21,700 jobs, reinforcing the economic multiplier effect of the telecom industry.

Scindia cited the example of the 4G core that India has developed in collaboration with private sector players such as Tejas Networks (a Tata company), while BSNL is rolling out the network. This partnership model is being replicated in the 5G rollout as well, where infrastructure built for 4G can be easily upgraded to 5G with minimal additional investment. "The core will remain the same; the only difference is adding a few more radio access networks (RANs) and BTS systems," explained Scindia, emphasizing the scalability of India's telecom infrastructure.

This collaborative model underscores the minister's assertion, where he stated, "One vision, one goal, one result, one dream." The alignment between public and private sectors has become a crucial driving force for India's telecom advancements.

The Revitalization of BSNL

One of the key issues raised was the future of BSNL, the government-owned telecom provider, which had lost ground to private players over the last decade. Scindia emphasized the government's commitment to turning BSNL into a competitive player once again.

"Our priority is to roll out BSNL's one lakh 4G sites by mid-next year," he said. The minister acknowledged that BSNL still serves a significant portion of the Indian population, including many in rural areas, where telecom penetration remains critical for development. BSNL's network already covers 98 per cent of India's districts, close to about 6,11,000 villages have 4G coverage out of 6,44,000 villages in India to date, and the company is poised to play a crucial role in rural broadband connectivity, particularly through the BharatNet initiative.

The BharatNet project aims to bring high-speed fiber broadband to all gram panchayats across the country. "BharatNet-1 is about 1,20,000 gram panchayats, BharatNet-2 is about 96,000 gram panchayats. So the total overall is close to about 2.46 lakh gram panchayats in the country. So I still have about 30-40,000 gram panchayats left to connect in our country with broadband fiber. BharatNet-1 also worked on a linear topology of connecting villages and therefore if the line got cut from one end, then all the villages downstream would get cut and therefore we're converting that linear topology into ring topology and therefore giving a level of redundancy for that fiber as well. So we're going to spend INR 1,39,000 crore on that project which includes laying out new fiber in 46,000 villages, conversion of ring to ring topology on the balance of 1,29,000 villages," Scindia explained. The project's ultimate goal is to ensure that no village in India is left without high-speed digital connectivity, which would further democratize access to economic opportunities.

The First Pillar of the Country

The Minister of Telecommunication stressed that digital infrastructure is not an end in itself but a powerful enabler of economic transformation. This is particularly significant for India's various regions, such as the North-East.

"The North-East is not the last pillar of our country but the first," Scindia remarked, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of transforming the region into a growth engine for India's economy. Connectivity—both physical and digital—is the key to unlocking this potential. The government has already spent over INR 81,000 crore on railways and INR 48,000 crore on roads in the North-East, and now it is focusing on telecom infrastructure.

Scindia noted that 6,000 villages in the North-East still lack mobile connectivity, but the government is determined to provide 100 per cent saturation by next year. With robust telecom infrastructure in place, artisans, horticulturists and small businesses from the region can access global markets, thereby integrating them into the national and global economy. "Today, capital is fungible, but good ideas are what matter. The world is your oyster if you are connected, and the northeast is our oyster." Scindia concluded, underscoring the transformative power of digital inclusion.

The minister was speaking at Public Affairs Forum of India's 11th Annual Forum.