India has Gone From Being a Tech Taker to a Tech Maker, Says Jyotiraditya Scindia
Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union minister of communications talks about how India is taking the lead in 6G technology and the changes he is pushing at India Post. Edited excerpts
You recently said that after following the world in 4G and advancing in 5G, India is set to lead in 6G. What gives you this confidence?
Before any technology is implemented, standards are set. This was true for GSM [Global System for Mobile Communication], 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and now 6G. Historically, India has not been part of the standard-setting process.
However, for the first time with 5G, India introduced a statement into the standard-setting protocols at ITU [International Telecommunication Union] and 3GPP [3rd Generation Partnership Project]. We proposed 5Gi, which emphasised that any technology adopted should benefit every individual across geographies. This paper was accepted.
Regarding 6G, you’re aware that the prime minister introduced the Bharat 6G Vision in late 2022, followed by the establishment of the Bharat 6G Alliance [B6GA]. The alliance comprises seven working groups. We have set an ambitious target: India aims to contribute 10% of the patents in the 6G standard-setting process.
Could you elaborate on the work that is underway?
Each working group within the B6GA includes members from various contributory segments. Additionally, we have established 100 5G test labs to explore 5G use cases. For 6G, we have set up a six-gigahertz test bed and an advanced optical communication test bed to work on potential streams for 6G technology.
All these building blocks are now in place. On one hand, India has achieved the fastest 5G rollout, covering 99% of districts and 82% of the population in just 22 months, with approximately 4,65,000 BTS [base transceiver station] installed by telcos.
Simultaneously, efforts are focused on exploring 5G use cases across domains such as IoT [internet of things], machine learning and AI [artificial learning].
How are you planning to support the development of a domestic 6G ecosystem?
It’s too early to talk about that. First, we need to wait for the standards and protocols for 6G to be established, which itself will take a couple of years. It’s important to understand and separate the standard-setting process from the technology itself.
If setting up the protocols is one of the most contentious issues, what leverage has India employed to be a part of that?
India is no longer in the position she was 10 years ago—when she was predominantly a technology taker rather than a maker. Today, India has become a technology maker. For instance, our indigenous 4G stack and hardware have positioned us as only the fifth country in the world to achieve this capability. The other countries in this domain are China, Sweden, Finland and [South] Korea.
Secondly, the market depth and penetration in India. Today, we have 1.16bn mobile subscribers—no other country in the world has such numbers.
We’ve gone from 250mn to 955mn internet users. Broadband users have surged from 60mn to 924mn. Not only does India have a vast population to serve, but it has also connected them comprehensively.
All telecom operators are now part of B6GA, along with educational institutions like IIT Madras. B6GA also fosters international collaborations, establishing relationships with similar alliances in Japan, Europe and [South] Korea.
How is India preparing to secure digital communications?
We're seeing the development of quantum phones. For instance, C-DOT [Centre for Development of Telematics] is working on its own quantum phone that will incorporate quantum-encrypted keys, ensuring that phone calls are secure and, for lack of a better term, ‘hack-proof’. These quantum-encrypted phones will be designed for secure communications.
There is a business process restructuring at India Post. What is the strategy behind that?
There is a significant transformation going on. We have six verticals that we are looking at including mails, parcels, international services, PLI [postal life insurance] and citizen-centric services. It's also becoming clear that the postal business is shifting towards logistics, driven by the global e-commerce boom.
At India Post, we are in the process of transforming our parcel system to capture a larger share of the logistics market. Our plans include developing a robust logistics network, enhancing our road transportation and establishing sorting hubs that operate with greater efficiency.
Additionally, we are incorporating technology such as barcoding and digitalisation to improve both customer-relationship management and our internal processes.
We are also focusing on digital transformation, and our goal is that within the next four to five years, 10–15% of our revenue will come from digital services. We are moving towards a more digital-centric approach, and I’m very excited about this shift. This department holds a special emotional connection for me, as it was my first charge when I became a minister of state in 2007.