New Delhi: India has endorsed the Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security, joining more than 20 governments in a collective effort to shape the development of secure, open and interoperable sixth-generation wireless networks.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial held at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on September 1–2 under the United States’ G20 Presidency.
India to Strengthen Its Role in Global 6G Development
The initiative is aimed at promoting next-generation telecommunications based on openness, interoperability, security, resilience, resource efficiency and innovation-led competition.
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India’s participation will be taken forward by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which will coordinate follow-up activities with government agencies, industry, academia and other stakeholders.
India has set a target of contributing 10% of global 6G standards and patents, as part of its broader ambition to move from being a technology adopter to becoming a technology and standards setter.
Union Minister for Communications and DoNER Jyotiraditya M. Scindia welcomed the development on X with the phrase “Bharat for 6G!” He highlighted India’s participation with 24 like-minded nations in advancing secure, interoperable and resilient 6G networks.
Scindia also reiterated India’s ambition to contribute 10% of global 6G standards, ahead of the technology’s expected rollout in the 2030s.
What the 6G Call to Action Requires
The participating governments have outlined a phased approach to strengthening cooperation:
- Within one month: Governments will identify 6G points of contact, designate coordinating agencies and prepare preliminary lists of relevant industry and academic stakeholders.
- Within three months: Participants will engage the telecom sector to assess the emerging 6G landscape, identify barriers to leadership and examine resources needed for competitiveness.
- Within six months: Governments will develop expert-level strategies for secure, resilient, sustainable and innovative 6G supply chains.
- Within 12 months: Participants will meet in person in 2027 to review progress, exchange best practices and establish priorities for the following year.
The initiative also envisages cooperation in areas such as 6G research and development, cybersecurity risk assessment, telecommunications supply chains and global standards.
India Builds on Domestic 6G Ecosystem
India’s participation builds on initiatives including the Bharat 6G Vision, Bharat 6G Alliance and indigenous 4G and 5G technology stack.
The government said engagement under the Call to Action will complement India’s existing work in international standardisation and spectrum-related forums while preserving the country’s independent positions in those platforms.
The participating governments include Canada, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Norway, Paraguay, South Korea, Romania, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with India.
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