The US Commerce Department said on Monday (local time) that India has joined the and 24 other countries in an international initiative to shape the development and rollout of next-generation 6G telecommunications networks.
The development comes after US Commerce Secretary met with Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Commerce (MoS), on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial to discuss the future of 6G.
In a post on X, the US Commerce Department wrote, “Secretary Lutnick met with Indian Minister of State for Commerce Jitin Prasada on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial to discuss the future of 6G. Today, we are pleased to announce that India has joined the U.S. and 24 other countries in the effort to ensure that next-generation networks reflect our shared security interests, strengthen our competitiveness, and drive innovation in 6G.”
Earlier in July, India joined the Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security, an initiative launched by the US Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). According to NTIA, under the proposed framework, participating nations have vowed to boost cooperation on over the next 12 months and beyond. The alliance’s agenda includes network security, interoperability, resilience, and the role of trusted artificial intelligence in developing and operating 6G infrastructure.
Separately, India is advancing its own 6G ambitions through the Bharat 6G Mission, to establish the country as a global hub for 6G intellectual property, products and cost-effective telecom solutions, while increasing its participation in international standard-setting bodies.
Earlier this week, led an Indian delegation to participate in the G20 Innovation Ministers’ meeting held on September 1 and 2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US. The meeting was hosted by the US Department of Commerce and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), ANI reported.
According to the Ministry of Electronics and IT (), Prasada was accompanied by Ajit Kumar, Joint Secretary at MeitY, along with senior officials from MeitY, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), as well as officials from the Embassy of India in the US.
At the end of the ministerial, the G20 Ministers shared the Innovation Ministerial Statement, which recognised that “emerging technologies have the potential to unlock prosperity, enhance productivity, and expand opportunity for all our peoples.”
The MoS also held several bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the G20 Ministerial. In a bilateral meeting with Lutnick, the two sides discussed ways to boost cooperation across areas such as semiconductors, data centres, and (AI). Prasada also encouraged increased investment from Washington in ISM2.0, called for stronger cooperation on AI technology, and proposed a framework for safeguards in AI development.
Following his bilateral meeting with Lutnick, the MoS wrote on X that the discussions focused on developing critical sectors that underpin the modern technological landscape.
Prasada wrote, “Semiconductors. AI. Data centres. These are critical building blocks of the emerging digital economy,” and added, “In my bilateral discussion with Mr Howard Lutnick, US Secretary of Commerce, we exchanged views on strengthening cooperation across these areas and advancing technology-led opportunities between India and the United States.”
According to the report, the latest visit by an Indian delegation highlighted New Delhi’s expanding contribution to the global technology and innovation landscape and reaffirmed its focus on developing strategic partnerships.
(with ANI inputs)
