Centre Launches Bharat 6G Alliance To Drive Collaboration In Next-gen Wireless Tech
Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) was launched on Monday by Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw to further the goal of universal and affordable connectivity in India.
The alliance, consisting of public and private companies, academia, research institutions, and standards development organisations, will look to develop indigenous technology, strengthen the telecom and semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, and lead in 6G technology.
The alliance plans to collaborate with other global 6G alliances for international cooperation and knowledge exchange.
Under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF), grants of Rs 240.51 crore have been provided for two projects. The first project, led by SAMEER, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, and IIT Patna, will establish a 6G THz Testbed with Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) and Multiplexing. The second project, with consortium members including IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIIT Delhi, Signalchip Innovations, Signaltron Systems, Sasmos het Technologies, SFO Technologies, ERNET India, Quanfluence Private, Sterlite Technologies, Navtech, and Tejas Network, focuses on an Advanced Optical Communication Test Bed.
The Digital Communication Innovation Square (DCIS) announced grants worth Rs 48 crores for 66 startups and MSMEs. The Department of Telecommunications, through the DCIS Scheme, supports these enterprises. Additionally, 75 innovators were recognized for their remarkable contributions to the field.
Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan, praised the telecom sector's efforts, acknowledging India as a bright spot in the world's economy. He highlighted transparent spectrum auctions and the rapid rollout of 2.7 lakh 5G towers within nine months, placing India among the top three 5G ecosystems globally. He appreciated the stakeholders' contributions to indigenous 4G and 5G technology and emphasized India's leadership in 6G technology through the Bharat 6G Alliance.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recognised the transformative reforms in the telecom sector over the past nine years, including reduced data costs, streamlined Right of Way permission processes, increased BTS sites, and higher FDI. He mentioned successful spectrum allocations, BSNL's market stabilisation, technology exports to 12 countries, enhanced broadband connectivity in rural areas, investments in telecom manufacturing, and progress in 6G technology patents.
Vaishnaw highlighted collaboration with the United States for technology co-creation and the upcoming semiconductor mission. The mission aims to establish chip manufacturing units, with project approvals granted within two weeks of announcement. He emphasised India's development of advanced optical communication with zero latency and the Bharat 6G Alliance's role in making India a leader in 6G technology.
