DoT Mobilises Startups and Academia to Shape Global Telecom Standards Ahead of Bharat 6G Mission

Over 150 innovators engage in national webinar demystifying global standardisation pathways and unlocking opportunities for Indian tech leadership.

In a strategic push to position Indian innovators at the forefront of global telecom standards, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, organised a high-impact webinar on “Standardization Processes” on 7 January 2026. The initiative aimed to equip startups, beneficiaries of the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF), academia, and industry stakeholders with practical knowledge of national and international telecom standardisation frameworks—and how to actively contribute to them.

The webinar was hosted by Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCoE) India on behalf of DoT, in collaboration with the Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI) and the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC). More than 150 participants from India’s growing telecom innovation ecosystem attended, reflecting rising interest in shaping the standards that define future networks.

Standards as Strategy: From Innovation to Global Influence

The inaugural session featured senior leadership from India’s telecom ecosystem, including Shri Ashok Kumar, DDG (Standards, Research & Innovation), DoT, Dr. Rajesh Sharma, CEO, TCoE India, and Shri A. K. Mittal, Director General, TSDSI. Speakers underscored that telecom standards are no longer a technical afterthought but a strategic lever for innovation-led growth, global market access, and technology sovereignty.

They highlighted how early participation in standardisation enables Indian startups and researchers to influence global specifications, protect intellectual property, and gain visibility in international markets—critical objectives as India advances towards the Bharat 6G Mission.

Demystifying Global Frameworks for Indian Innovators

A detailed technical session led by TSDSI experts Mr. P. K. Jaswal and Mr. Dhivagar Baskaran (CEWiT) provided deep insights into 3GPP, oneM2M, and TSDSI standardisation processes. The session decoded the organisational structure of 3GPP, explained oneM2M’s role in building interoperable IoT and M2M ecosystems, and walked participants through the end-to-end standards development lifecycle.

Crucially, startups were introduced to clear, actionable pathways for submitting technical contributions, engaging in working groups, and leveraging institutional support mechanisms available through TSDSI—lowering entry barriers to global standards bodies.

ITU Frameworks and Global Regulatory Alignment

The international dimension was further strengthened by Shri Vineet Malik, Director (Radio), TEC, DoT, who explained the ITU-R and ITU-T standardisation frameworks. His session highlighted ITU’s central role in spectrum management, network standards, and global regulatory harmonisation, along with participation avenues available to Indian stakeholders within these influential bodies.

Startup Perspective: From First Contribution to Global Impact

Adding a practitioner’s perspective, Dr. Sreenath Ramanath, Founder of Lekha Wireless Solutions, shared first-hand experiences of engaging with international standards organisations. He spoke candidly about early challenges, ecosystem support received, and the tangible business and credibility gains achieved through accepted technical contributions—demonstrating that standards participation delivers real-world returns for deep-tech startups.

Standards that Shape Markets

Speakers emphasised that technical contributions accepted by global standards bodies become part of internationally recognised normative standards, which subsequently influence national regulations, licensing frameworks, and telecom operator procurement decisions. For Indian innovators, this translates into enhanced global credibility, stronger IP positioning, and accelerated market adoption.

Call to Action: Shape the Rules, Don’t Just Follow Them

The webinar concluded with an interactive Q&A session, with participants encouraged to actively engage in upcoming standardisation initiatives. DoT reiterated its commitment to enabling early-stage participation by startups, academia, and MSMEs, particularly in emerging technologies aligned with 6G, IoT, AI-native networks, and future digital infrastructure.

As India prepares to define the next era of global connectivity, early adopters who engage with standardisation today will shape the telecom markets of tomorrow. The Department of Telecommunications urged innovators to move beyond adoption and become co-creators of global standards, ensuring that Indian technologies and perspectives are embedded at the core of future networks.