Bharat 6G Alliance Expands to 90 Member Organisations
Science & Technology / Infrastructure · Thursday, 23 July 2026
The Minister of State for Communications announced that the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) has expanded its membership to 90 organisations. B6GA is an industry-led, government-facilitated platform, supported by the Department of Telecommunications, that drives indigenous 6G research, intellectual property creation and standard-setting.
Quick highlights
- B6GA membership has expanded to 90 organisations.
- It is industry-led and government-facilitated, with nodal support from the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications.
- Global partners under bilateral MoUs: NextG Alliance (USA), 6G-IA (Europe), 6G Forum (South Korea), XGMF (Japan), 6G Brasil and the European Space Agency.
- Coordinates terahertz R&D under the Telecom Technology Development Fund, including the 6G Terahertz testbed at SAMEER Kolkata.
- Drives Indian contributions to the ITU under the IMT-2030 framework, embedding ubiquitous connectivity as a core 6G requirement.
- Uses DoT's Technology Development and Investment Promotion scheme to sponsor startup participation in 3GPP and oneM2M.
Context
The Minister of State for Communications announced that the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) expanded its membership to 90 organisations, reflecting the widening industry base of India's next-generation telecom effort.
Key Facts
B6GA is an industry-led, government-facilitated collaborative platform established to position India as a global leader in 6G telecommunications, bringing together domestic and international stakeholders for research, intellectual property creation and standard-setting. Nodal support comes from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications. It operates under bilateral MoUs with the NextG Alliance (USA), 6G-IA (Europe), 6G Forum (South Korea), XGMF (Japan), 6G Brasil and the European Space Agency. Functions: formulating national spectrum roadmaps by analysing high-frequency spectrum requirements and advising DoT on planning, policy and deployment timelines; advancing terahertz testbeds and R&D under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF), including the 6G Terahertz testbed at SAMEER Kolkata for ultra-high-rate line-of-sight communication; securing intellectual property and standards by driving Indian contributions to the International Telecommunication Union under the IMT-2030 framework, successfully embedding ubiquitous connectivity as a core 6G global requirement; supporting hardware innovation in System-on-Chips, multi-chip modules and IoT devices with DoT's Technology Development and Investment Promotion (TDIP) scheme sponsoring startup participation in 3GPP and oneM2M; and building global supply chain resilience with partners such as Finland's 6G Flagship.
Significance
B6GA enables India to shape global 6G standards through the ITU and 3GPP, moving the country from a technology adopter to a standards leader. It links IIT research with industry to commercialise Indian telecom technologies, strengthen cyber security, reduce imports and boost domestic manufacturing, supporting a self-reliant and globally competitive 6G ecosystem.
Challenges / Way Forward
Standard-setting leadership requires sustained patent generation and early terahertz hardware capability, both capital-intensive and long-gestation. Continued expansion of testbeds under TTDF, deeper startup participation in 3GPP and oneM2M through TDIP, and trusted cross-border supply chains with partners such as Finland's 6G Flagship are the stated pathways.
Exam Angle
Prelims: B6GA membership figure, nodal ministry and department, IMT-2030 and ITU, 3GPP and oneM2M, TTDF and TDIP schemes, SAMEER Kolkata terahertz testbed, international partner bodies. Mains GS-3: science and technology developments, indigenisation of technology, telecom manufacturing and cyber security.
Remember this
- B6GA membership has grown to 90 organisations.
- It is facilitated by the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications.
- Partner bodies: NextG Alliance (USA), 6G-IA (Europe), 6G Forum (South Korea), XGMF (Japan), 6G Brasil, ESA.
- 6G Terahertz testbed is located at SAMEER Kolkata, funded under TTDF.
- Indian contributions to ITU come under the IMT-2030 framework.
- India embedded 'ubiquitous connectivity' as a core 6G global requirement.
- DoT's TDIP scheme sponsors startup participation in 3GPP and oneM2M.
- Finland's 6G Flagship is a supply-chain and research partner.
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