Eyeing to boost India’s global role in telecom standardisation, TEC partners with IIT Kharagpur to advance 6G, satellite networks and AI-enabled telecom systems.
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), to collaborate on advanced telecom research and global standardisation.
The agreement, signed on 23 February 2026 at IIT Kharagpur, establishes a framework for joint studies, technical contributions and the development of India-specific standards in emerging network technologies.
The MoU was signed by Shri Kamal Kumar Agarwal, DDG (FA), TEC, and Prof. Debdeep Mukhopadhyay, Associate Dean (R&D), in the presence of the Director, Prof. Suman Chakraborty, and other senior representatives from both institutions.
Key areas of collaboration include research into 6G architecture, optical communication, satellite and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), passive optical network technology, advanced antenna systems and massive MIMO for 5G and future wireless networks.
The partnership also covers AI-enabled telecom systems, particularly electromagnetic field (EMF) monitoring solutions using smart IoT sensors and AI frameworks to enhance public safety and regulatory compliance.
The initiative is expected to strengthen India’s role in international standardisation bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) and other global forums.
By contributing to pre-standardisation and standardisation activities, the collaboration aims to increase India’s influence in shaping next-generation telecom standards.
According to DoT, beyond global engagement, the partnership supports the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision by promoting indigenous research, design and manufacturing in telecom.
Developing India-specific standards, test frameworks and home-grown solutions is intended to reduce reliance on imports, secure critical communications infrastructure and build national self-reliance.
TEC, as the DoT’s technical arm, is responsible for formulating standards, specifications and conformity assessment requirements for telecom equipment and networks in India. It also represents the country in international fora, coordinating national working groups for global standardisation activities.
