India, Germany Operationalise Telecom Pact After JDI Signing

Both ministers welcomed the JDI as a milestone anchored in shared values of openness, trust, innovation and resilience in digital ecosystems.

India and Germany have moved to operationalise their newly signed telecom and digital cooperation framework, with Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and German Federal Minister Karsten Wildberger holding a high-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi to accelerate implementation under the Indo-German Strategic Partnership.

The meeting, held on 18 February 2026 at Sanchar Bhawan, follows the signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on 10 January 2026 during the India–Germany Summit — a forward-looking, non-binding framework designed to structure cooperation in telecommunications and digital governance.

From Declaration to Delivery

Both ministers welcomed the JDI as a milestone anchored in shared values of openness, trust, innovation and resilience in digital ecosystems.

Minister Scindia emphasised that the partnership must now shift from broad statements of intent to structured, results-oriented implementation.

The two sides agreed to convene the first high-level meeting under the JDI framework to finalise an initial two-year work plan, with:

• Clearly defined priority areas

• Identified stakeholders

• Flagship collaborative initiatives

• Periodic virtual reviews for measurable outcomes

India Showcases Scale and Digital Depth

Minister Scindia highlighted India’s rapid digital transformation:

• 1.23 billion telecom subscribers

• Nearly 1 billion internet users

• 5G coverage across 99.9% of districts

• Average data tariffs of around USD 0.10 per GB, among the lowest globally

He described India’s digital ecosystem as a “robust digital carriageway” ready for deeper international collaboration.

He also underscored the global success of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model, particularly:

• Aadhaar digital identity

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processing approximately 250 billion transactions annually

• UPI’s adoption by multiple partner countries

Germany Signals Interest in 6G and Quantum

Minister Wildberger expressed appreciation for India’s telecom achievements and conveyed Germany’s interest in structured collaboration on advanced telecom systems and secure digital networks.

He shared Germany’s progress in quantum encryption and secure information transport, including a demonstration of quantum communication over a 35-km link for 11 consecutive days.

Germany signalled strong interest in early engagement on 6G standardisation, recognising India’s scale and innovation capacity as critical to shaping next-generation global standards.

Priority Areas: 5G-Advanced, 6G, AI and Cybersecurity

Both sides reaffirmed cooperation across key emerging domains:

• 5G and 5G-Advanced

• Early engagement on 6G standards

• Trusted telecom architectures

• Supply chain resilience

• AI at the edge

• Industry-grade network slicing

• Open RAN ecosystems

• Quantum communication

• Cybersecurity

The ministers also emphasised coordinated engagement in international forums such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to promote interoperable and secure global standards.

Research and Industry Collaboration

Institutional collaboration was highlighted as a central pillar of the partnership.

Ongoing cooperation between C-DOT (India) and Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz Institute (HHI) (Germany) in advanced telecom R&D, quantum communications, AI and next-generation networks was acknowledged as a model for deeper engagement.

Both sides stressed the importance of:

• Strengthening industry–academia linkages

• Advancing indigenous technology development

• Supporting open-source innovation networks

• Building capacity across telecom ecosystems

ITU Engagement and Multilateral Support

India sought Germany’s support for:

• The candidature of Ms. M. Revathi for Director, Radiocommunication Bureau (ITU)

• India’s re-election to the ITU Council (2027–2030)

• India’s proposal to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030

Shared Vision for Trusted Digital Infrastructure

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmed commitment to building trusted networks, resilient supply chains and future-ready digital infrastructure under the JDI framework.

With India offering scale and affordability, and Germany bringing deep expertise in secure communications and industrial innovation, the partnership signals a strategic alignment to co-shape global telecom standards and next-generation digital ecosystems.