India needs to scale up investments in research and development (R&D) to secure leadership in emerging telecom technologies such as 6G and Artificial Intelligence-driven Radio Access Networks (AI-RAN), said Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications.

Speaking at an industry forum, Pemmasani stressed that innovation-led growth will define the next phase of India’s telecom sector, urging both public and private players to prioritise long-term R&D spending. He flagged the need for stronger collaboration between academia, startups and industry to build indigenous capabilities.

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Push for Indigenous Innovation and 6G Leadership

The minister said that India has a narrow window to position itself as a global leader in 6G technology. He called for early investments in foundational research, standards development and intellectual property creation.

He noted that countries investing aggressively in next-generation telecom infrastructure are likely to dominate future digital economies. India, he added, must reduce dependence on imported technologies and focus on building homegrown solutions.

He also highlighted ongoing government efforts to support innovation through policy frameworks and funding initiatives that strengthen the telecom ecosystem.

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Focus on AI-RAN and Industry Collaboration

On AI-RAN, he said integrating artificial intelligence into telecom networks will improve efficiency, reduce operational costs and enhance service delivery. He urged telecom companies to adopt AI-driven network management systems at scale.

He further emphasised that collaboration will be key to progress. Partnerships between telecom operators, technology firms and research institutions can accelerate the development and deployment of advanced solutions.

Industry stakeholders were also encouraged to increase private-sector participation in R&D, which remains relatively low compared with global benchmarks.