6G test for a Viksit Bharat

India’s digital story has always been one of ambition matched by ingenuity — from the early years of connectivity expansion to the emergence of a self-reliant telecom ecosystem that today reaches every corner of the country. As the world prepares for the next great leap in communication technology, India stands not at the edge, but at the center of the conversation. The march toward 6G is no longer a distant dream; it is a national mission that blends technology, policy, and purpose to build a Viksit Bharat — a developed India by 2047.

The journey from 4G to 6G reflects how far India has come in less than a decade. The country that once imported nearly all its telecom infrastructure now designs, tests, and deploys its own systems. The development of an indigenous 4G core network was the first major assertion of technological independence. That achievement, followed by the rapid rollout of 5G across urban and rural India, laid the foundation for the next stage — creating technologies that are not only used by Indians but also built, owned, and exported by them.

India’s 6G vision, articulated in the Bharat 6G Vision Document released in March 2023, outlines a roadmap based on affordability, sustainability, and ubiquity. The aim is not simply to deliver faster data speeds but to democratize digital access — ensuring that every Indian can benefit from next-generation connectivity. This vision redefines the role of telecommunications: no longer just a utility, but the infrastructure of empowerment for healthcare, education, agriculture, and enterprise.

The promise of 6G lies in its transformative potential. If 5G reduced latency to milliseconds, 6G aims to compress it to microseconds — enabling communication that is nearly instantaneous. Such responsiveness can make remote robotic surgery routine, autonomous transport safer, and immersive digital worlds indistinguishable from reality. By combining artificial intelligence with network management, 6G will be smart enough to allocate bandwidth, energy, and processing power automatically, minimizing waste while maximizing performance. In short, it will make the digital world as efficient as the human brain it seeks to serve.

India’s approach to this transformation is neither insular nor imitative. The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) represents a new model of collaborative innovation, bringing together more than 80 organizations — from startups and telecom majors to research institutions and universities. The alliance is structured around seven working groups that address everything from spectrum management to sustainability. Its purpose is to ensure that India’s 6G development is open, interoperable, and globally competitive. Through partnerships with global research alliances like the NextG Alliance in the United States, the 6G Flagship in Finland, and 6G IA in Europe, India has embedded itself in the international network of innovation. These collaborations are also building secure and trusted supply chains, reducing reliance on any single region or technology provider. 

Innovation, however, depends on research depth, and India has begun investing heavily in that foundation. Two national testbeds — one focused on Terahertz (THz) communications and another on advanced optical technologies — are providing scientists and engineers a space to experiment with new ideas. The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF), launched in October 2022, has already supported over a hundred R&D projects worth more than ₹310 crore in advanced telecom technologies. At the academic level, one hundred 5G labs have been sanctioned across the country, turning campuses into incubators for next-generation innovation. Students and researchers are being encouraged to design new use cases, test prototypes, and collaborate with industry to accelerate development. The emphasis on intellectual property creation — patents and product-level innovation — marks a deliberate shift from applied learning to invention-led education. These efforts were on full display at the India Mobile Congress 2025, where the International 6G Symposium brought together global experts and domestic innovators. The event was more than just a showcase; it was a statement that India is now an agenda-setter in telecom innovation. A joint declaration on 6G principles reaffirmed India’s commitment to making technology affordable, sustainable, and secure. The Bharat 6G Alliance signed key agreements with NASSCOM and the European Space Agency, while releasing whitepapers outlining a strategic direction for spectrum use, AI-driven networks, and sustainable energy in telecom systems.

At the heart of these developments lies the story of India’s Made-in-India 4G stack — a symbol of self-reliance that is now being exported abroad. What began as an experiment in domestic innovation has evolved into a template for affordable digital infrastructure across the developing world. As India moves toward 6G, this exportable model of innovation — locally built, globally shared — could become a cornerstone of the country’s economic diplomacy.

The government’s roadmap envisions the telecom sector contributing nearly USD 1.2 trillion to India’s GDP by 2035 and securing at least 10% of global 6G patents. While these are projections, they underscore the scale of ambition. Alongside terrestrial connectivity, India is investing in satellite communication systems projected to triple in market size by 2033. These space-linked networks are expected to provide high-speed internet to even the most remote parts of the country, ensuring that no citizen is excluded from the digital economy.

For a Viksit Bharat, inclusion is not an afterthought; it is the purpose. The 6G mission is designed to bridge the rural-urban divide, allowing farmers to access precision agriculture tools, patients in villages to receive telemedicine support, and students in small towns to participate in global classrooms. Smart sensors, AI-driven analytics, and ubiquitous connectivity will redefine how public services are delivered. In this sense, 6G is not just about technology — it is about governance, equality, and opportunity.

The challenges ahead are significant. Developing indigenous semiconductors, ensuring cybersecurity, managing scarce spectrum resources, and coordinating international standards are complex tasks. Moreover, the benefits of 6G will only be realised if affordability is preserved and regulatory frameworks evolve with technology. Yet, the direction is clear: India intends not just to adopt the technologies of the future but to invent them.

In many ways, the 6G journey reflects India’s broader national transformation. The same principles that have guided its digital revolution — openness, inclusivity, and innovation — are now driving its ascent to global leadership. What was once an economy known for its software services is becoming a laboratory for deep-tech engineering, hardware design, and systems innovation.

The Viksit Bharat of 2047 will not merely be a consumer of connectivity; it will be a creator of it — intelligent, sustainable, and indigenous.

The author a policy analyst and technology commentator focusing on digital transformation, innovation ecosystems, and governance.