NEW DELHI – Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Institute of Information Technology Naya Raipur (IIIT Naya Raipur) to collaborate on research and standardisation in next-generation telecom technologies, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement.
The ministry said the partnership aims to strengthen India’s participation in global telecom standards bodies and help develop frameworks suited to the country’s digital ecosystem. It did not disclose financial terms or project timelines.
Focus on next-generation research
The agreement will cover joint research on Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN), network disaggregation, cognitive radio and spectrum sharing. According to the ministry, the collaboration will explore open interfaces, modular architectures and virtualisation to improve vendor interoperability.
Studies on spectrum sharing will be aligned with the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 agenda. TEC and IIIT Naya Raipur will also work on test environments for emerging network technologies such as 5G, 6G and the Internet of Things, the ministry said.
The partners plan to contribute to ITU-T study groups and TEC’s national working groups to ensure Indian participation in global telecom discussions. They will also develop India-specific test frameworks and interoperability solutions tailored to the country’s connectivity needs.
The ministry said the partnership will promote digital inclusion through affordable, vendor-neutral solutions while supporting India’s goal of self-reliance in telecom technology under the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat programme.
TEC is responsible for technical standards and test requirements for telecom networks and equipment in India. IIIT Naya Raipur is an institute of national importance focused on research and innovation in information and communication technologies.
DoT steps up R&D and standardisation efforts
The announcement follows a series of government initiatives to expand India’s role in next-generation telecom development. In August, India hosted global 3GPP Radio Access Network meetings in Bengaluru, drawing more than 1,500 delegates from over 50 countries. The sessions marked the start of work on Release 20, the baseline for global 6G specifications, according to the Department of Telecommunications.
The Department said the meetings reflected India’s growing contribution to international standardisation and its intent to help shape future network architectures. 3GPP, the global standards consortium, has described Release 20 as the first formal step toward defining 6G capabilities.
Earlier this year, the Department reported progress under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF), a programme launched in 2022 to support research, design and innovation in telecom. As of July, 104 projects focused on 6G and related technologies had been approved with a sanctioned amount of ₹275.88 crore.
In June, the ministry said more than 120 projects worth over ₹500 crore had been cleared under the TTDF, covering areas such as optical networking, low-earth-orbit satellite communication and post-quantum secure networks. It also announced the launch of a multi-core fibre field testing facility at IIT Madras to aid 6G research.
Expanding collaboration and standards engagement
In July, the Bharat 6G Alliance and the Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India, signed an MoU to coordinate efforts on 6G standards and technical priorities. The ministry said the agreement would enhance coordination among Indian stakeholders contributing to international working groups.
The government’s research centre, C-DOT, has also deepened its partnerships with academia. In January, it signed agreements with IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi to develop key components for high-speed 6G wireless transceivers and terahertz communication front ends, respectively.
The Ministry of Communications said these collaborations collectively aim to position India as a contributor to global telecom standards while advancing domestic innovation in hardware and software systems.
Broader push for self-reliance
Officials said the TEC–IIIT Naya Raipur partnership builds on this momentum by connecting academic research with national standardisation efforts. The focus on Open RAN and network disaggregation aligns with India’s push for open, interoperable systems and reduced dependence on proprietary network vendors.
The ministry added that by developing India-specific test frameworks and spectrum-sharing models, the collaboration could support future 6G trials and expand the country’s participation in global standards-setting.
