India has immense potential in 6G and Semiconductor technologies.by: WR Team

According to KPMG and India Mobile Congress, the combined contribution of 5G/6G, Satellite Communication, and Semiconductor industries is projected to reach $240 billion in the next five years, nearly 1.6% of India's GDP by 2028.

Driving Factors:

  • India is offering $30 billion in support for semiconductors and related industries.

  • The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act is expected to boost consumer trust, cross-border trade, and lawful processing, enhancing India’s economy and digital innovation.

  • In the semiconductor space, India excels in design engineering and aims to improve its manufacturing. The government has initiated multiple programs, including technology transfer fees.

Focus Areas:

  • A highly skilled workforce is required to manage and maintain the complex network infrastructure.

  • An effective Partner Ecosystem has to be built between ICT and CSPs players to integrate 5G and other technologies with customer needs.

  • Infrastructure providers need to adapt to meet the evolution of 6G, including fiber capacity, optical transport, tower count, 5G repeaters, edge sites, etc. (Currently, about 38% of towers have been fiberized).

  • The government is working on new norms and frameworks to secure its 6G and Semiconductor vision. India also tightens foreign investor rules after the Hindenburg report on Adani.

Top Telecom Companies and their Investments:

  • Jio Platforms: Builds upon its 5G capabilities through collaboration with the University of Oulu to accelerate 6G research.

  • Airtel: Working with ecosystem partners, including chip manufacturers, software, and hardware vendors, to manufacture 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) devices in India.

  • Vodafone Idea: Making significant investments to roll out 5G. Partnered with Nokia to accelerate network innovation with 5G-Advanced and 6G in 2022.

  • BSNL: Partnered with Tejas Network to deploy a nationwide 4G/5G network in India, with execution planned for 2023 and 2024.