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India aims to be an early mover on 6G, with an official target to deploy commercial 6G services around 2030.

Global Standardization of 6G networks and 6G India launch

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) officially started formal work on technical standardization for 6G in 2025, following a 6G workshop in March 2025. This process, including detailed research on candidate technologies, is expected to continue until the first set of official 6G specifications is projected to be completed by mid-2029.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has already released its IMT-2030 framework, which outlines the objectives and overarching direction for 6G.

 Research is heavily concentrated on:

• AI-Native Networks: Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into network design for optimization and efficiency.
• Integrated Sensing and Communication: 6G is expected to be the first generation to move beyond pure communication to include an integrated “sensing” capability.
• New Spectrum: Utilizing untapped higher radio frequencies, including the Terahertz (THz) band, and allocating mid-band spectrum like the upper 6 GHz.
• Ubiquitous Coverage: Seamlessly integrating terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (NTN), such as satellite communications.

India towards 6G-official Bharat 6G

India is actively pursuing a leadership role, with the goal of being a frontline contributor in the design, development, and deployment of indigenous 6G technologies by 2030, aiming for 10% of global 6G patents.

The Department of Telecommunications constituted a Technology Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G) on 1st November 2021 with members from various  ministries/Departments, research and development institutions, academia, standardization bodies, Telecom Service Providers and industry to develop Vision, Mission and Goals for the 6G and also develop a roadmap and action plans for 6G in India. The TIG-6G in turn constituted six Task Forces with industry, academia, R&D institutions and Government as members on Multi-Disciplinary Innovative Solutions, Multiplatform Next Generation Networks, Spectrum for Next Generation Requirements, Devices, International Standards Contribution and Funding Research and Development.

Based on the reports of the Six Task Forces, a Bharat 6G Vision Document has been prepared by the Technology Innovation Group on 6G.

“Design, develop and deploy 6G network technologies that provide ubiquitous, intelligent and secure connectivity for high quality living experience for the world.

6G Vision is based on principles of Affordability, Sustainability, and Ubiquity. The Vision for 6G is fully aligned with the national Vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and will seek to empower every Indian to become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in their lives. At the same time, it ensures that India takes its rightful place in the world as a leading supplier of advanced telecom technologies and solutions that are affordable and contribute to the global good. The 6G Vision is thus timed just right for India’s Aazadi ka Amrit Kaal.”

An Apex Council is constituted to lay down the Phase-wise objectives of the Bharat 6G Mission, consult the Bharat 6G Alliance, suggest the research and innovation pathways to be explored, review the progress from time to time, order external evaluations and suggest course corrections.

The India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 is scheduled to focus significantly on the 6G ecosystem, bringing together global and Indian experts.

Bharat 6G Mission:

The research and start-up ecosystem will be tapped to bring innovations and new ideas to the table. Adequate provisions for financial support will be made available. The Mission will be completed in two phases:

1. Phase 1 from 2023-2025 (2 years)
2. Phase 2 from 2025-2030 (5 years)

Bharat 6G Mission – Objectives

1. Facilitate and finance Research and Development, design and development of 6G technologies by Indian Startups/Companies/Research bodies/Universities;
2. Enable India to become a leading global supplier of IP, products and solutions of affordable 6G telecom solutions;
3. Deploy 6G technologies to act as a powerful force multiplier for India@2030;
4. Enable inclusive and significant enhancement in the quality of living experience of citizens in India and across the world.

 Bharat 6G Alliance – B6GA:

The Bharat 6G Alliance shall be an alliance of domestic industry, academia, national research institutions and standards organisations facilitated by the Government. The B6GA is expected to chart its own course of action based on the Bharat 6G Vision Document and further developments. B6GA will focus on the following:

1. To help grow 5G Advanced/6G IPs and essential patents from India;
2. Design and build Indian 5G Advanced/6G products and solutions;
3. Support and energise Indian participation in 3GPP/ITU;
4. To help build consortia of Indian Startups and companies;
5. To facilitate market access for Indian 5G/6G technology products;
6. Build coalition with like-minded 6G Global Alliances.

International collaborations in 6G research and development

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), established by the European Commission, is a major initiative with a significant budget (€900 million) to foster Europe’s technology sovereignty in 6G.

Countries, including the US, EU, Japan, South Korea, and others, have released joint statements and entered into alliances to guide 6G research and deployment based on shared principles like security, openness, and resilience.

6G  Spectrum Updates

In India, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has floated a consultation paper on the next spectrum auction, notably including the upper 6 GHz range (e.g., 6425–6725 MHz and 7025–7125 MHz). This band is viewed globally as a crucial element for high-capacity 5G Advanced and future 6G networks.

Sub-THz(terahertz) bands may also feature in later releases of 6G. Unleashing vast amounts of new spectrum, sub-THz frequencies can enable specific future 6G use cases where extreme data rates or low latency in local areas are required. This includes professional high-resolution holographic communication and advanced machine-to-machine interaction.

Final decisions on the identification of certain frequency bands for IMT-2030 (6G) are expected to be taken at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in 2027.

5G stand alone and 5G Advanced networks

5G Standalone (SA) is a complete, fully independent architecture, and 5G Advanced is the next major upgrade to the 5G standard itself. 5G SA is considered the definitive version of “real 5G.” The term refers to 5G networks that operate independently of the existing 4G infrastructure. 5G Advanced is the mid-life evolution and upgrade of the 5G standard, defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP Release 18 and later releases). It builds upon the foundation of the 5G SA architecture to enhance performance and introduce new capabilities. The commercial name for the specifications released in the second half of the 5G decade (leading up to 6G) is 5G Advanced.

6G Network Architecture

6G network architecture will build on the ongoing trend of network horizontalization, enabling new 6G radio-access network (RAN) and evolved 5G core network (CN) functions to benefit from the fast evolution of cloudification, IT frameworks, automation, open interfaces and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML).

5G vs. 6G: what to expect

6G networks will build on 5G and 5G Advanced, offering much faster speeds—possibly hundreds of gigabits per second—and very low delays (sub-millisecond) in some cases.

But 6G is not just about faster internet. It will also introduce new features that go beyond just connecting people. 6G will support things like information services, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing directly through the network. Developers will have access to more tools (APIs) to use these new capabilities, making it easier to create powerful applications that need strong connectivity and computing power.

As a result, 6G will provide a much wider range of solutions to a larger customer base compared to today’s 5G.

6G Launch in India :What ordinary users can expect and when?

Early users—such as businesses in fields like industry automation, healthcare, and telemetry—will benefit from private 6G trials between 2027 and 2029. For regular consumers, commercial 6G services may become available in big cities after 2030. However, affordable 6G devices and coverage in rural areas will take more time to reach everyone. The rollout will be gradual, depending on factors like chipset development, affordable phones, network agreements, and upgrades to local infrastructure, rather than happening all at once.