The government has approved 104 research and development projects worth ₹271 crore for 6G technology under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme, the Ministry of Communications informed Parliament on Thursday.
Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, said the government has released the Bharat 6G Vision Document, which outlines the roadmap for research, development and deployment of 6G technology in India, including identification of spectrum bands.
The government has also prepared a Spectrum Roadmap for 6G services, which provides visibility on spectrum availability and timelines across various radio frequency bands over the next decade. The roadmap is divided into short-term (2025–2026), medium-term (2027–2030) and long-term (2031–2035) phases to support advanced 6G applications.
According to the ministry, studies on 6G technologies are also being undertaken at international forums such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU Radiocommunication Sector has issued recommendations outlining the framework and usage scenarios for IMT-2030, the global standard under development for 6G technologies.
Reports released by the ITU have also examined aspects such as spectrum feasibility, propagation characteristics, antenna techniques and deployment architectures for future mobile communication systems.
The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme supports indigenous telecom research and development. As of February 2026, 136 research projects have been approved under the scheme, including 104 projects focused on 6G technology. These initiatives cover areas such as 6G THz testbeds, transmitter modules, cell-free access points, reconfigurable intelligent surface hardware systems and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in 6G networks.
In addition to 6G research, the government informed Parliament that 5G services have now been rolled out across all states and Union Territories, reaching 99.9 per cent of districts in the country.
As of February 28, 2026, a total of 5.23 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) have been installed nationwide.
The Department of Telecommunications has undertaken several initiatives to promote adoption of 5G applications in sectors such as telemedicine, precision agriculture, smart manufacturing and education, while strengthening the domestic telecom ecosystem and preparing for next-generation technologies.
The government has also supported the development of an Indigenous 5G Test Bed, established with a grant of ₹224 crore and developed through collaboration among leading institutions including IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bengaluru, SAMEER and CEWiT Chennai. The test bed was dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister in May 2022.
Further, 100 5G laboratories have been established across the country with an outlay of ₹97.67 crore to support development of 5G applications across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, logistics, governance and urban management.
The government also highlighted the formation of the Bharat 6G Alliance, which brings together industry, academia, research institutions and standards bodies to develop action plans in line with the Bharat 6G Vision and strengthen international collaboration in next-generation telecom technologies.
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above release has been taken from DD News. No editors from The Mainstream were involved in creation of this content.)
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