India Aims to Secure 10 Percent of 6G Technology IPRs: MeitY Official

Silicon India, February 03, 2024

India is targeting a 10% share of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in sixth-generation (6G) technology through collaborative efforts led by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and other relevant entities, as highlighted by a senior official from the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY). Meenakshi Agarwal, Scientist ‘D’ at MeitY, underscored the importance of strengthening privacy and cybersecurity regulations, as well as the development of energy-efficient technologies, according to an official statement.
Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT-Bangalore, said that the standards, technology, and regulation constitute the crucial pillars of 6G technology. He said that the evolution from human-to-machine communication in 5G to machine-to-machine communication is a paradigm shift. “However, deploying 6G technology poses significant challenges, requiring meticulous attention to standards to overcome the complexities associated with advancements in telecommunication. He also lauded India’s announcement of the Bharat 6G vision and India’s active participation in international standards bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)”, Das said, as per the statement.

To recall, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released India’s 6G Vision “Bharat 6G Vision” document on March 23, 2023 which envisages India to be a frontline contributor in the design, development and deployment of 6G technology by 2030. Consequently, the efforts of the telecom department have successfully resulted in the adoption of ‘Ubiquitous Connectivity, Ubiquitous Intelligence and Sustainability’ as key elements of 6G technology and also enhanced India’s position in the international telecom space.

Late last year, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) issued a framework for establishing standards and radio interface technologies for the sixth generation of mobile systems. V Sridhar from IIIT Bangalore presented the findings of a collaborative project involving CUTS, IIIT Bangalore, and the Australian Risk Policy Institute (ARPI), titled “Ethical 6G: Identifying Elements of Ethical and Regulatory Framework for 6G and Creating Opportunities for India and Australia”. Highlighting features such as high-frequency communication and the Internet of Nano Things, Sridhar emphasized the critical role of zero-trust systems in ensuring security in the context of 6G.

Bharat Bhatia, the President of ITU APT Foundation of India, commented on the recent formulation of a vision for the 6G framework by ITU. Stressing the significant investments required for 6G standardization, he highlighted the importance of substantial governmental investment in participating in the global standard-making process and influencing the trajectory of 6G technology. Ujjwal Kumar, the Associate Director of CUTS International, additionally pointed out that 6G technology is poised to integrate telecommunications, cybersecurity, and digital technologies, underscoring the need for a comprehensive regulatory and ethical framework.

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