As India’s telecom ambitions get a decisive push, TEC and IIIT Delhi join forces to drive 6G research, new standards, and stronger global influence.
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Delhi.
According to DoT, the agreement aims to boost collaborative research and develop India-focused telecom standards, strengthening the country’s role in global standardisation forums.
The collaboration focuses on emerging areas such as 6G, optical communication, and non-terrestrial networks. It also aims to improve India’s contributions to the International Telecommunication Union’s standardisation groups through enhanced participation in national working groups. Both institutions will work on studies, test frameworks and joint submissions to global bodies.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) in telecom will be a key area under the MoU. The two sides plan to explore AI-based network optimisation, anomaly detection, predictive maintenance and intelligent traffic management. Research in 5G and 6G will also be strengthened, with work on mmWave, massive MIMO and heterogeneous networks.
Other areas include Software-Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualisation, free-space optical communication, and Li-Fi, with a focus on rural and defence applications. The partnership will also examine the use of ICT to improve the energy efficiency of telecom infrastructure.
The MoU was signed on 19 November 2025 at IIIT Delhi. The ceremony was attended by senior representatives from both organisations, including TEC’s DDG (Fixed Access), Rakesh Desai, and IIIT Delhi’s Assistant Professor, Dr Abhijit Mitra.
The initiative aligns with the government’s self-reliance goals by promoting indigenous research, design and manufacturing. Officials said the collaboration will help reduce dependence on imports and support secure, locally developed telecom solutions.
