Indian institutions partner to accelerate telecoms innovation

Details: Vaughan O'Grady; Category: Tech; 06 October 2025; 4854 views

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Naya Raipur to jointly pursue research, innovation and standardisation in next-generation telecommunications technologies.

IIIT Naya Raipur, situated in a planned city in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, is engaged in advanced research and innovation in information and communication technologies. It works closely with industry and government to drive technology development, skill building and innovation for India’s digital transformation.

TEC formulates technical standards, specifications and test requirements for telecom equipment and networks in India, ensuring interoperability, quality and alignment with global best practices.

This strategic partnership combines TEC’s national leadership in telecom standardisation with IIIT Naya Raipur’s academic and research excellence, creating what is described as a collaborative framework to advance India’s role in global telecom innovation.

There are a number of key areas of collaboration involved in this initiative. One such is open RAN and network disaggregation – specifically the development of open interfaces, modular architectures, virtualisation and vendor interoperability.

The partnership will also address cognitive radio and spectrum sharing, in this case research on coexistence frameworks and studies aligned with the agenda items of the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27). WRC-27 will review, and, if necessary, revise the international treaty on radio regulations governing the use of the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.

Another focus will be 5G / 6G / IoT frameworks and, in particular, joint research on emerging technologies and test environments for future network generations.

Contributions to national and international standardisation, along with development of standards and interoperability solutions tailored to India’s digital ecosystem, will also be addressed.

The partners say that this collaboration is expected to significantly strengthen India’s participation in global telecom standards and international policy forums. In addition, by fostering joint research testbeds and real-world collaborations, they suggest it will accelerate innovation across emerging communication technologies.

The partnership also aims to promote digital inclusion by developing affordable, interoperable, and vendor-neutral solutions suited to India’s diverse connectivity needs.

Not surprisingly too, this collaboration will advance India’s vision of self-reliance by fostering indigenous research, design and development in telecom technologies.

Most importantly, say the partners, it will help prepare the nation for the next wave of telecom evolution, including the advent of 6G networks and advanced IoT applications.