Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, has unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document and launched the 6G R&D Test Bed.
Narendra Modi has also inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office & Innovation Centre in India.

ITU is the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). India signed a Host Country Agreement in March 2022 with ITU for the establishment of Area Office. It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations.

“ITU’s presence in the region will help the introduction of advanced technologies, improve capacity development, and foster entrepreneurship and partnerships while also responding to leads on the ground from digital services, skills, cyber security and digital inclusion,” said Doreen-Bogdan Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union.

World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly of ITU will be held in October next year in Delhi where representatives from all over the world will visit India.

Bharat 6G vision document is prepared by the Technology Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G) that was constituted in November 2021 with members from various Ministries/Departments, research and development institutions, academia, standardization bodies, Telecom Service Providers and industry to develop a roadmap and action plans for 6G in India.

6G Test Bed will provide academic institutions, industries, start-ups, MSMEs etc. a platform to test and validate the evolving ICT technologies. The Bharat 6G Vision Document and 6G Test Bed will provide an enabling environment for innovation, capacity building and faster technology adoption in the country.

India also announced Call Before You Dig (CBuD) app designed for preventing damage to assets like optical fiber cables, that occurs because of uncoordinated digging and excavation, leading to loss of about Rs 3000 crore every year to the country. The mobile app CBuD will connect excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notifications & click to call so that there are planned excavations in the country while ensuring the safety of underground assets.