In a powerful statement on India’s burgeoning tech sovereignty, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday declared that the nation is no longer content with just keeping pace. Launching the book ‘The Digital Decades’, the Minister outlined a vision where India moves from a participant to the primary architect of the world’s next communication standard: 6G.
The transition reflects the “tremendous depth” of India’s digital transformation, which has seen the country evolve from handwritten ledgers to the world-leading Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in record time.
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From Follower to Leader: The 4G to 6G Journey
Scindia’s “guarantee” on 6G is built on the momentum of India’s 5G rollout—the fastest in the world.
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The 4G Era: India was a late adopter, following global standards set primarily in the West and East Asia.
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The 5G Era: With indigenous stacks and rapid deployment, India “walked with” the world.
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The 6G Era: By leading in Bharat 6G patents and research, Scindia asserts India will now set the global pace for the 2030 rollout.
The $957 Billion AI Opportunity
The Minister linked the future of 6G directly to the rise of Artificial Intelligence.
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GDP Contribution: AI is estimated to add nearly $957 billion to India’s economy by 2030.
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Convergence: 6G is expected to be the first “AI-native” generation of telecommunications, allowing for near-instantaneous data processing that will power everything from autonomous vehicles to advanced robotics.
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DPI: The Backbone of the Next Chapter
The “Digital Public Infrastructure” (DPI) model—comprising Aadhaar, UPI, and ONDC—is what Scindia calls the “policy compass” for the future.
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Width and Depth: He described the shift from “telegraph poles to 5G towers” as a transformation that covers the entire breadth of the Indian population while deepening the technical sophistication of every citizen’s daily life.
Reality Check
Leading the world in 6G is a massive hardware challenge. Still, India has already secured over 127 patents for 6G-related technologies through the Bharat 6G Alliance. Therefore, while the rhetoric is high, the foundational work is visibly underway. In fact, the real test for 6G leadership will be in chip manufacturing and global hardware standards, areas where India is currently playing a significant catch-up game through its semiconductor missions.
The Loopholes
The Minister said India “walked with” the world on 5G. In fact, this is a “Standardization Loophole”—while the rollout was fast, most of the equipment used was still manufactured by global giants like Ericsson and Nokia. Therefore, to truly “lead” 6G, India must ensure its indigenous 6G stack is adopted as a global standard, rather than just being a domestic success. Still, the “AI-GDP Loophole” ($957 billion) assumes a flawless integration of AI across agriculture and small industries, which remains a massive logistical hurdle.
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What This Means for You
If you are a student or professional in the telecom or AI space, align your skills with the Bharat 6G vision. First, realize that the next decade will see a massive influx of government grants for R&D in high-frequency communications. Then, if you are a business owner, understand that DPI integration is no longer optional; it is the “heartbeat” of the 2026-2030 economy.
Finally, understand that 6G is about more than just speed. You should expect a future where your internet is integrated into the very fabric of your surroundings—think “sensing” capabilities in the network itself. Before the 6G rollout begins, ensure your digital literacy includes a basic understanding of AI, as the two technologies will be inseparable by 2030.
What’s Next
The Bharat 6G Alliance will likely release a fresh set of “Test Bed” guidelines by mid-2026. Then, look for the rollout of the first 6G-ready satellite constellations in partnership with ISRO. Finally, expect a series of Global 6G Summits in New Delhi, where India will lobby for its indigenous protocols to be included in the international 3GPP standards.
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