Date: 2026-03-25Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India will achieve global leadership in 6G: Union Minister of Communications Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia
**Executive Summary**
Union Minister Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia informed the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026, regarding India’s progress toward achieving global leadership in 6G technology. Key highlights include the expansion of the Bharat 6G Alliance to 85 institutions, the operationalization of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) with a ₹50,000 crore funding target for 2023–28, and the pursuit of a 10% share in global 6G patents. The Ministry is currently conducting quarterly analyses of 6G working groups to ensure steady progress toward these technological milestones.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Research and Innovation Funding**
* **Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF):** Operational since February 2024, the foundation aims for a total fund of ₹50,000 crore between 2023 and 2028, with ₹14,000 crore provided by the Central Government.
* **RDI Scheme:** A ₹1.0 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme has been announced to provide long-term financial support for critical and emerging technologies.
* **Specialized Grants:** New initiatives include the Advanced Research Grant, Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant, and Inclusivity Research Grant.
* **Targeted Missions:** Funding supports high-impact areas such as the EV Mission, AI for Science and Engineering, MedTech Mission, and 2D Innovation Hub.
**Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) Progress**
* **Institutional Growth:** The alliance has expanded six-fold, growing from 14 to 85 member institutions as of March 15, 2026.
* **Working Groups:** Seven specialized groups have been established to focus on spectrum, devices, green sustainability, 6G use cases, and outreach.
* **Collaborative Platform:** B6GA serves as a hub for telecom providers, manufacturers, startups, and academia to drive indigenous 6G standardization.
**Global Leadership and Patents**
* **Patent Targets:** India aspires to hold 10% of global 6G patents, with approximately 4,000 patents already contributed.
* **International Recognition:** India’s "Ubiquitous Connectivity" proposal has gained acceptance from international bodies, including the ITU and 3GPP.
* **Spectrum Roadmap:** The Department of Telecommunications has released a "Spectrum Roadmap for 6G in India" to guide future service deployment.
**Technological Achievements**
* **6G Terahertz Testbed:** A project at SAMEER, Kolkata, in consortium with several IITs, successfully demonstrated a 270 GHz wireless link achieving a data rate of 6,400 megabytes per second.
* **Institutional Mechanisms:** Approximately ₹300 crore has been allocated to support Centres of Excellence, fellowships, and the ANRF Transnational Research Innovation Hub.
**Impact Analysis**
**Academic and Research Institutions**
**Impact**
These institutions are now central to India’s 6G ambitions, gaining access to significant government funding, high-tech testbeds, and collaborative frameworks like the B6GA.
**Action Required**
Engage in the seven B6GA working groups and apply for grants under the ANRF and RDI schemes to advance indigenous technology development.
**Telecom Industry and Startups**
**Impact**
Industry players benefit from a clear regulatory and spectrum roadmap, as well as a platform for standardizing indigenous 6G technologies, which enhances global competitiveness.
**Action Required**
Collaborate with academia through the B6GA to contribute to the 10% global patent target and utilize the ₹1.0 lakh crore RDI scheme for long-term innovation.
**Private Sector and Philanthropic Organizations**
**Impact**
The government is looking to the private sector to provide the bulk of the ANRF’s funding (₹36,000 crore of the ₹50,000 crore target) through donations and investments.
**Action Required**
Invest in research and development through the RDI Scheme and contribute to the ANRF Fund to support national development in critical technology domains.
Key Entities Referenced
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): A statutory body established to provide strategic direction and significant funding (₹50,000 crore) for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship across science and engineering fields.
Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA): An industry and academia-led collaborative platform established to drive innovation, standardization, and the development of indigenous 6G technologies in alignment with national goals.
Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme: A ₹1.0 lakh crore initiative designed to provide long-term financial support for research in critical and emerging technology areas such as deep tech, AI, and quantum computing.
Bharat 6G Vision: The foundational policy document announced by the Government of India that outlines the strategic roadmap for achieving global leadership and a 10% share in global 6G patents.
Digital Bharat Nidhi: The funding mechanism (including the Telecom Technology Development Fund) utilized to support advanced telecommunications projects such as the 6G terahertz testbed.
Ministry of Communications
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi, India will achieve global
leadership in 6G: Union Minister of
Communications Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia
India aspires to have 10% share in global 6G patents;
Secures international acceptance for Ubiquitous Connectivity
proposal: Union Minister Shri Scindia
Bharat 6G Alliance expands six-fold (from 14 to 85
institutions), emerging as key driver of India’s 6G ambitions
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to drive
Innovation with historic funding support
Posted On: 25 MAR 2026 6:35PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Shri Jyotiraditya
M. Scindia, informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday of significant progress made in the growth of the
Bharat 6G Alliance and the strengthening of India’s research ecosystem through the Anusandhan
National Research Foundation.
Responding to a query, the Union Minister stated that the Anusandhan National Research Foundation
(ANRF) was established under the leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and became
operational in February 2024 with the objective of imparting fresh momentum to innovation and researchin the country. He informed that the Foundation functions through a Governing Council and an Executive
Council to ensure effective and transparent decision-making. ANRF aims to receive funds amounting to
Rs. 50,000 crore during 2023-28 in the form of ANRF Fund, Innovation Fund, Science and Engineering
Research Fund, Special Purpose Funds. A budgetary provision of Rs. 14,000 crore is made from the
Central Government and remaining amount will be sourced through donations from any other source,
including from public sector enterprises, the private sector, philanthropist organizations, foundations or
international bodies.
Elaborating further, Shri Scindia highlighted that this budgetary provision has been announced to support
key programmes aimed at advancing cutting-edge research which include the Mission for Advancement in
High Impact Areas, EV Mission, 2D Innovation Hub, MedTech Mission, AI for Science and Engineering,
and the CRM Research Programme. In addition, several grant initiatives such as the Advanced Research
Grant, Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant, and Inclusivity Research Grant have been introduced
to broaden participation in research and innovation.
The Union Minister also informed that multiple institutional mechanisms have been established to
strengthen the innovation ecosystem. These include Centres of Excellence Convergence, a Centre of
Excellence for Science, Technology, Innovation Indicators and Analysis, the Partnership for Accelerated
Innovation and Research, and the ANRF Transnational Research Innovation Hub. He added that several
fellowships have been awarded, and an allocation of approximately ₹300 crore has been made to support
these initiatives.
Turning to the progress of 6G, Shri Scindia underlined that the Bharat 6G Alliance, established under the
guidance of the Prime Minister, has witnessed substantial growth. From an initial 14 institutions, the
Alliance has expanded to include 85 institutions. Seven working groups have been constituted focusing on
spectrum, devices, technology and components, alliances, green and sustainability, outreach, and 6G use
cases. He noted that “quarterly analysis of all seven working groups is undertaken by the Ministry to
ensure steady progress.”
Minister Shri Scindia further informed that India aims to contribute nearly 10 per cent of global 6G
patents, with around 4,000 patents already contributed. India’s proposal on ubiquitous connectivity has
also been accepted by international bodies such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Concluding his statement, Shri Scindia reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to technological
leadership, stating that the Ministry remains confident that India will emerge as a global leader in 6G
technology.
Additionally, the Union Minister also gave details about the progress of the Bharat 6 G Alliance, as
follows:
The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA), an industry and academia-led society, has 85 members as of 15th March
2026. These members represent a broad and diverse ecosystem comprising telecom service providers,
telecom equipment manufacturers, startups, research and development institutions, academia and other
stakeholders from the telecom sector. The Alliance serves as a collaborative platform for various
stakeholders to work together towards innovation, standardisation and development of indigenous 6G
technologies, in alignment with the Bharat 6G Vision announced by the Government of India.
The Government has announced the ₹1.0 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI)
Scheme to provide long-term financial support for undertaking research and innovation in critical and
emerging technology areas vital for national development and global competitiveness. The Department ofScience and Technology is the nodal department for implementation of RDI Scheme. The scheme aims to
catalyse private sector investment in research and development and support innovation in key domains
such as —
i. energy security and energy transition and climate action;
ii. deep technologies, including quantum computing, robotics and space technologies;
iii. artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies;
iv. biotechnology and medical devices; and
v. digital economy, including areas such as digital agriculture.
One of the seven working groups on ‘spectrum’ constituted by the Bharat 6G Alliance has published a
report titled “Spectrum Roadmap For 6G in India”. Further, the Department of Telecommunications, after
consultation with stakeholders including the Bharat 6G Alliance, has released Spectrum Roadmap for 6G
services, which can be accessed online at https://www.dot.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/02/092d793d6ea9
12a5dd79bf0c26ea1a84.pdf.
A project for the establishment of a 6G terahertz testbed at Society for Applied Microwave Electronics
Engineering and Research (SAMEER), Kolkata, an autonomous research and development body under
the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology by a consortium consisting of SAMEER and
three other members, namely, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, IIT Guwahati and IIT Patna,
has been approved from the Telecom Technology Development Fund under Digital Bharat Nidhi. Under
this project, a high data-rate line-of-sight link was demonstrated in the India Mobile Congress 2025,
achieving a data rate of 6,400 megabytes per second over a 270 gigahertz wireless link.
The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has been established through an Act of
Parliament, under the Department of Science and Technology, to provide high-level strategic direction for
research, innovation and entrepreneurship across diverse fields of science and engineering. It is designed
to support research institutions and innovation ecosystems through funding programmes, innovation
grants and incubation support, with the objective of promoting development of advanced technologies.
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