India Targets 10% of Global 6G Patents and Standards: Union Minister of State for Communications Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani

1. At a Glance

• At IMC 2026, Union MoS for Communications Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani repeated India's target of securing at least 10% of global 6G patents and standards. [1]
• The target marks a shift from India mainly using telecom technology to owning the IP behind it, through standard-essential patents (SEPs), contributions to standards bodies and indigenous R&D. [1][2]
• Bharat 6G Vision (March 2023) aims to make India a frontline contributor in the design, development and deployment of 6G by 2030. [2]
• The topic spans GS-III (science and technology, IPR, infrastructure, internal security) and GS-II (government policies and regulatory frameworks).

2. Why in the News

• 08 Oct 2026: The MoS spoke at the session "Shaping the Intelligent Infrastructure for 6G: A Technology Leadership Dialogue, CTO Round Table", held on the sidelines of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026. [1]
• He asked major telecom operators to set measurable annual and quarterly targets for contributions to standards, SEPs and university research. [1]
• He called for identifying 10–20 critical imported network technologies and building Indian alternatives to them. [1]
• He also pushed for quantum communications trials, AI-native networks and stronger telecom security. [1]
• Slogan: "The last decade was Digital India. Our goal is to make the next decade an Intelligent India." [1]

3. Background & Evolution

• 01 Oct 2022: The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme was launched by the then Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). [5][7]
• 22 Mar 2023: Bharat 6G Vision document released. [2]
• 2023: DoT launched the Bharat 6G Alliance, which brings together industry, academia, startups, research institutions and standardisation bodies. [2][3]
• 2023: Telecommunications Act, 2023 enacted. By Oct 2026, most of its rules had been notified. [1]
• Oct 2024: The ITU-WTSA 2024 assembly concluded with global backing for resolutions India had proposed. [9]
• 2025: The first TTDF Symposium was held at IIT Madras. [7]
• By mid-2025: The Bharat 6G Alliance had 80+ member organisations, including 30+ startups. [4]
• Oct 2025: PIB backgrounder "Building a Viksit Bharat with 6G – From 4G Self-Reliance to 6G Global Leadership" published. [2]
• Oct 2026: The 10% target was repeated at IMC 2026, along with operator-level targets. [1]

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Nodal ministry / department	Ministry of Communications, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) [1][3]
MoS (Communications and Rural Development)	Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani [1]
6G patent target	At least 10% of global 6G patents and standards [1][2]
Patents contributed so far (per PIB)	About 4,000 [2]
Projected 6G impact	USD 1.2 trillion GDP impact by 2035 [2]
Vision document	Bharat 6G Vision, released 22 Mar 2023, horizon 2030 [2]
Bharat 6G Alliance	80+ members, 30+ startups (mid-2025) [4]
TTDF launch	01 Oct 2022 [5][7]
TTDF implementing body	Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), formerly USOF [7]
TTDF (2025 figures)	120 projects, more than ₹500 cr approved, more than ₹187 cr disbursed [7]; 110 5G/6G projects worth ₹304.70 cr (till 30.06.2025) [6]
TTDF (Oct 2026 figures)	About 136 projects, about ₹500 cr [1]
TTDF focus areas	5G, 6G, quantum communications, non-terrestrial networks, advanced optical systems, indigenous core, telecom security [1]
5G footprint	Every district covered through about 5.6 lakh BTS [1]
Connectivity	More than 1 billion people connected; indigenous 4G stack developed [1]
Rural connectivity projects	BharatNet and 4G saturation projects [1]
Regulatory base	Telecommunications Act, 2023, meant to be simpler and technology-neutral [1]
Quantum agency named	C-DOT, asked to start operator trials of quantum-safe encryption and QKD [1]

Key terms:

• SEP (standard-essential patent): A patent that any product compliant with a standard must use. Holders earn licensing revenue. WIPO's PATENTSCOPE now hosts SEP declarations, including those made at ITU-T. [8]
• QKD (Quantum Key Distribution): Exchanging encryption keys using quantum states.
• Quantum-safe encryption: Cryptography designed to resist attacks from quantum computers.
• AI-native network: A network where AI is built into the architecture from the start, as opposed to an AI-assisted network where AI is added on top. [1]

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic

• SEP ownership turns India from a royalty payer into a royalty earner. [1][8]
• 6G is projected to add USD 1.2 trillion to GDP by 2035. [2]
• Replacing 10–20 imported technologies (chipsets, radios, routers, optical systems) would reduce the import bill and support "Make in India". [1]
• TTDF grants go to academia, startups and MSMEs, which strengthens the domestic supplier base. [7]

Scientific / Technological

• Priority areas: quantum communications, non-terrestrial (satellite) networks, advanced optics and an indigenous core network. [1]
• 5G testbeds in academic institutions are open to students, researchers and startups. [1]
• The goal is to move from AI-assisted to AI-native networks. [1]

Geopolitical / Strategic

• Influence in global standards bodies (ITU and others) shapes the global technology order. India's resolutions at ITU-WTSA 2024 drew global backing. [9]
• Supply-chain security reduces dependence on a small number of foreign vendors. [1]

Security

• Priorities named: national security, equipment security, supply-chain security, fraud prevention and protection of critical telecom infrastructure. [1]
• Quantum-safe links are meant to protect critical infrastructure against future quantum attacks. [1]

Legal / Governance

• The Telecommunications Act, 2023 rules aim at a simpler, technology-neutral framework. [1]
• Operators would have measurable standards and SEP targets, which brings accountability for R&D output. [1]
• The model is cooperative: the MoS invited industry "wish lists" for simplification and policy changes. [1]

Social

• BharatNet and 4G saturation aim to take connectivity to every village and home, narrowing the digital divide. [1]

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 2025: First TTDF Symposium held at IIT Madras. [7]
• Mid-2025: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia reviewed the progress of the Bharat 6G Alliance. [4]
• Up to 30 Jun 2025: 110 5G/6G projects worth ₹304.70 cr approved under TTDF. [6]
• Oct 2025: PIB backgrounder "Building a Viksit Bharat with 6G" published. [2]
• 08 Oct 2026: At IMC 2026, the MoS reported about 136 TTDF projects, most Telecom Act rules notified, and the push for SEP targets, QKD trials and Indian alternatives to imports. [1]

7. Prelims Hooks

• India's 6G target is at least 10% of global 6G patents and standards. [1]
• Bharat 6G Vision was released on 22 March 2023, with 2030 as its horizon. [2]
• The Bharat 6G Alliance was launched by DoT and had 80+ members, including 30+ startups, by mid-2025. [3][4]
• TTDF was launched on 1 October 2022. [5]
• TTDF is implemented by Digital Bharat Nidhi, formerly USOF. [7]
• Under TTDF, about 136 R&D projects worth about ₹500 crore had been funded as of Oct 2026. [1]
• 5G covers every district through about 5.6 lakh BTS. [1]
• India has developed an indigenous 4G stack. [1]
• C-DOT was asked to run operator trials of QKD and quantum-safe encryption. [1]
• The MoS's slogan: "Digital India → Intelligent India". [1]
• 6G's projected GDP impact is USD 1.2 trillion by 2035. [2]
• WIPO PATENTSCOPE now includes SEP declarations, including those made at ITU-T. [8]
• The event was the CTO Round Table at IMC 2026. [1]

8. What the 10% Target Does Not Say

• The target does not say what will be counted
• SEP declarations are now listed on WIPO's PATENTSCOPE [8]. A declaration is the patent holder's own claim that its patent is essential to a standard.
• The target does not say whether 10% means patents filed, patents declared, or proposals actually accepted into the 6G standard.

• These three can give very different numbers. A country can file many patents that few phones ever have to use.

• The "about 4,000 patents" figure needs care

• PIB gives about 4,000 patents contributed so far [2]. The note itself flags that this number is not fully checked.

• We are not told whether these are 6G patents, SEPs, or all telecom patents. So we cannot yet say how far India is from 10%.

• Patents only earn money if the standard uses them

• Royalties come only from patents the standard actually includes. Every compliant product then has to use them [8].
• So the real test is how many Indian proposals the standards bodies accept, not how many patents are filed.

9. Why Asking Telecom Operators for Patents Is a Hard Fit

• India spends little on research, and companies spend even less
• GERD (total money a country spends on research) has stayed at about 0.64% of GDP. That is below the world average and below China, South Korea and the US [10][11].
• Private companies pay only about 36% of India's research spending. In those leading countries, companies pay more than 70% [10][11].

• SEPs mostly come from company engineers who work for years in standards meetings. Thin company research means few people do this work.

• The operators mainly buy equipment. They do not design it.

• The MoS asked operators to set quarterly targets for SEPs and standards contributions [1].
• Indian operators mostly run networks with equipment they buy. India's imports of telecom instruments rose 21% in 2024-25 [14].

• A patent target placed on the buyer, not the equipment maker, may produce filings for the sake of the target instead of real inventions.

• TTDF is small for the task

• TTDF has funded about 136 projects worth about ₹500 crore in four years [1]. That works out to under ₹4 crore per project, spread across 5G, 6G, quantum, satellite and optics.
• Grants this small can produce prototypes. A steady flow of SEPs needs years of funded work inside standards bodies.

10. What DoT's Delivery Record Warns About

• Money is given but not spent
• DoT's spending in 2025-26 is estimated to be 34% below its budget [14].

• BharatNet funds have stayed underused since 2022-23 [14]. A 6G push run by the same department can hit the same delays.

• Building something is not the same as people using it

• Wi-Fi hotspots were put up in one lakh gram panchayats. Only 766 were active [14].
• 5G reaches about 85% of people, but only about 25% of mobile data in 2024-25 went over 5G [14].

• The Standing Committee on Communications and IT (2024) found that 5G uses that were expected to spread widely have not yet happened [14].

• Why this matters for 6G

• The "5.6 lakh BTS" and "every district covered" figures [1] measure what was installed, not what is used.
• If 6G success is also counted by inputs (projects funded, patents filed), the same gap can repeat.

11. The Case Against Chasing Patents — and Its Answer

• The strongest objection: India gains more as a fast, cheap adopter
• Licences for SEPs must be offered on FRAND terms (Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory — the patent holder cannot charge unfair prices or refuse some buyers) [12].
• So, the argument goes, India can use 6G at a fair price without owning patents. Scarce research money could go to rural networks and uses of 6G instead.

• With GERD at about 0.64% [10][11], 10% of global patents may simply be out of reach by 2030.

• What this objection gets right

• A count target can push firms to file weak patents to hit a number.

• India's connectivity gains so far came mostly from rolling out networks quickly, not from owning their technology [1].

• Why it still does not settle the matter

• FRAND does not fix the price. What is "fair" is negotiated or fought in court. WIPO had to publish a separate 2026 report only on how to value SEP licences [13].
• Small firms find these talks hard. WIPO runs mediation (a neutral person helps both sides agree) for SEP disputes involving SMEs [12].

• A country with its own SEPs can trade licences with others (cross-licensing) instead of only paying. It also has a say in how the security features of the standard are written. This links to the supply-chain worries in the note [1].

• Balanced position: the aim is sound. The number matters less than how many Indian proposals the standard actually accepts.

12. Who Should Do What Next

• DoT should measure accepted contributions, not just filed patents
• Report each year how many Indian proposals were accepted into the 6G standard and how many declared SEPs were found essential.

• This turns the 10% target into something people outside government can check against PATENTSCOPE data [8].

• Use the RDI Fund to get companies spending on research

• The government has launched a ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund [10][11].

• Using part of it to fund equipment makers and startups working on 6G standards would target the 36% private-share problem directly.

• Digital Bharat Nidhi should give TTDF a separate, steady fund

• The Committee on Public Undertakings (2025) recommended a dedicated corpus (a fixed pool of money) under TTDF for rural technology [14].

• The same idea, used for 6G standards work, would let teams plan for several years instead of grant by grant.

• Train Indian startups and universities in SEP licensing

• The Bharat 6G Alliance has 30+ startups [4]. Few will have patent lawyers.
• Linking them to WIPO's SEP valuation guidance and mediation services [12][13] helps them earn from their patents instead of losing them in disputes.

13. Anchors for Answers

• Data: India's GERD (total research spending) is about 0.64% of GDP; private companies pay only about 36% of it, against 70%+ in the US, China and South Korea [10][11]
• Data: India's imports of telecom instruments rose 21% in 2024-25; DoT spending in 2025-26 is estimated 34% below budget [14]
• Data: Only 766 of one lakh BharatNet gram panchayat Wi-Fi hotspots were active; about 25% of mobile data went over 5G in 2024-25 [14]
• Report/Committee: Standing Committee on Communications and IT (2024): expected 5G uses not yet realised; Committee on Public Undertakings (2025): dedicated corpus under TTDF [14]
• Report/Committee: WIPO Strategy on Standard Essential Patents 2024–2026; WIPO report on SEP licence valuation (2026) [12][13]
• Law/Case: Telecommunications Act, 2023 (Digital Bharat Nidhi replaces USOF and funds TTDF) [1][7]
• Comparison: In the US, China and South Korea, companies pay more than 70% of research spending, which is where most SEPs come from [10][11]
• Scheme: TTDF (about ₹500 crore, about 136 projects) [1]; ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund for private-sector research [10][11]; Bharat 6G Alliance [3][4]

14. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: Science and technology developments and their effects; indigenisation of technology; IPR; infrastructure (telecom); security challenges, including cyber security and critical infrastructure.
• GS-II: Government policies and interventions; regulatory frameworks (Telecommunications Act, 2023).
• Possible question stems: 1. "Owning standard-essential patents matters more than deploying technology first." Examine this statement with reference to India's 6G ambitions. (15 marks) 2. Discuss the role of the Telecom Technology Development Fund and the Bharat 6G Alliance in building indigenous telecom capability. What structural constraints remain? (10 marks) 3. Quantum communications and supply-chain security are central to protecting India's critical telecom infrastructure. Analyse. (15 marks)

15. Related Topics to Study Next

• Telecommunications Act, 2023: The regulatory base, including Digital Bharat Nidhi, spectrum and security provisions.
• National Quantum Mission: Linked to the QKD and quantum-safe encryption push.
• BharatNet and Digital Bharat Nidhi: The rural connectivity pillar.
• India Semiconductor Mission: Chipsets are among the imported technologies to be replaced.
• ITU, WTSA 2024 and IMT-2030: The global standards architecture for 6G.
• IPR regime and SEP/FRAND licensing: How patents turn into royalties.
• PLI scheme for telecom and networking products: Manufacturing-side support for indigenisation.
• Cyber security and protection of critical information infrastructure: The security dimension.

16. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Intellectual property rights (Economy): The 10% target is about owning IP; SEPs and royalties are part of the wider IPR system.
• Patent (Economy): The target counts global 6G patents; knowing what a patent grants explains why standard-essential ones earn licensing revenue.
• Self-reliance (Economy): Building Indian alternatives to 10–20 imported network technologies is a self-reliance push in telecom.
• Supply chain (Economy): The note links indigenous technology to supply-chain security and less dependence on a few foreign vendors.
• Universal service obligation (Economy): TTDF began under USOF, now Digital Bharat Nidhi, which finances rural telecom and R&D.
• Digital divide (Geography): BharatNet and 4G saturation aim to narrow uneven access to connectivity between rural and urban India.

17. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Patents vs. deployment: The 10% target is a share of global 6G patents and standards, not 6G coverage or market share. [1]
• Speaker: The IMC 2026 statement was made by MoS Pemmasani, not Cabinet Minister Scindia. Scindia features in earlier Bharat 6G Alliance reviews. [1][4]
• TTDF numbers change over time: 120 projects (2025) [7], 110 projects on 5G/6G worth ₹304.70 cr [6], and about 136 projects (Oct 2026) [1]. Check which year a question refers to.
• Implementing body: TTDF was launched under USOF and is now run by Digital Bharat Nidhi. Do not attribute it to MeitY or DST. [5][7]
• AI-assisted vs. AI-native: The stated policy direction is AI-native. [1]