The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) took center stage at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from November 3–5.

As one of the key organisers, DoT led the thematic session on Digital Communication on November 5, focusing on India’s strides in telecom innovation and its ambitious vision for 6G technology.

According to a PIB press release, the session was chaired by Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom) and Chairman, Digital Communications Commission, and attended by senior officials including Shri Ashok Kumar, Deputy Director General, Department of Telecommunications, and Vice Chair, IEG, WTPF, ITU, along with leading scientists, academicians, and industry experts from India’s digital ecosystem.

In his inaugural address, Dr. Mittal emphasized that telecom today serves as an enabler not only for the economy but also for every emerging technology. Highlighting the transformative power of connectivity and artificial intelligence, he said, “Telecom has become an enabler not only of the economy but of all technologies which are developing in various disciplines. The sector heralds a new opportunity for all of us to achieve the impossible.”

Dr. Mittal further underlined that connectivity forms the bedrock of all productive activity and has a direct impact on national economic growth. He noted that India’s telecom revolution has seen one of the fastest 5G rollouts globally, guided by the vision of the Prime Minister, and that 100 5G labs have been set up across the country to build use cases and strengthen India’s readiness for leadership in 6G technology.

The Secretary also spoke about the government’s multi-pronged approach to advancing next-generation communications — through support for R&D, domestic manufacturing, and strong academia–industry–government partnerships. Over 100 research projects are currently underway in 6G, focused on Open RAN, indigenous chipsets, AI-driven networks, and regulatory sandboxes.

Dr. Mittal highlighted the progress of the Bharat 6G Alliance, a pioneering initiative under the Prime Minister’s vision, which has already forged 10 international collaborations with global 6G consortiums. The alliance aims for India to contribute at least 10 percent of the world’s 6G patents by 2030.

The session also featured a keynote by Prof. Kiran Kumar Kuchi from IIT Hyderabad and Founder of WiSig Networks, titled “How to Realise the 6G Vision for Bharat”. Other notable speakers included Shri Ramu Srinivasaiah, Founder & Director, Lekha Wireless Solutions, who discussed the expanding role of Open RAN in 6G network design, and Dr. Kumar N. Sivarajan, Co-Founder & CTO, Tejas Networks, who shared insights on making India a global telecom leader by 2030.

A panel discussion on “Taking Indigenous Technologies to the Next Level” was moderated by Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT, with experts from IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru, BSNL, and Tejas Networks deliberating on how India can extend its 5G ecosystem, develop indigenous PNT through NavIC L1 signals, and build disruptive technology stacks from Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) to 6G.

ESTIC 2025, themed “Viksit Bharat 2047 – Pioneering Sustainable Innovation, Technological Advancement, and Empowerment”, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 3. The conclave, organised by 13 ministries and departments under the guidance of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, brought together more than 3,000 participants including Nobel laureates, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders. Discussions spanned across 11 focus areas, including Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, Advanced Materials, and Digital Communications.