India joins US, 24 countries in global alliance on 6G network; supports domestic ambitions under the Bharat 6G Mission | Today’s news
The US Commerce Department said on Monday (local time) that India has joined the United States and 24 other countries in an international initiative to shape the development and deployment of next-generation 6G telecommunications networks.
The development comes after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met with Jitin Prasada, Secretary 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 Department of Commerce wrote: “Secretary Lutnick met with Indian Commerce Minister 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 US and 24 other countries in ensuring that next-generation networks reflect our shared interests in security and 6G.”
India Joins Call to Action for 6G Leadership
In early July, India joined the Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security, an initiative launched by the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). According to NTIA, under the proposed framework, participating countries have pledged to strengthen cooperation on 6G over the next 12 months and beyond. The alliance’s agenda includes network security, interoperability, resilience and the role of trusted artificial intelligence in the development and operation of 6G infrastructure.
Independently, India is pursuing its own 6G ambitions through the Bharat 6G mission to make the country a global hub for 6G intellectual property, products and cost-effective telecom solutions, while increasing its participation in international standards bodies.
Indian delegation attends the G20 Innovation Ministers’ Meeting
Earlier this week, Prasada led the Indian delegation to attend the G20 Innovation Ministers’ Meeting held on September 1-2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. The meeting was organized 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 (MeitY), Prasad was accompanied by Ajit Kumar, Joint Secretary MeitY, along with senior officials from MeitY, Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Industrial Promotion and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as well as officials from the Embassy of India in the US.
At the end of the ministerial meeting, G20 ministers shared a ministerial statement on innovation, which recognized that “emerging technologies have the potential to unlock prosperity, increase productivity and expand opportunity for all our nations.”
Read also | Fight over AI regulation heats up: US urges G20 to avoid new rules
The MoS met the US Secretary of Commerce
The MD also held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting. In a bilateral meeting with Lutnick, the two sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, data centers and artificial intelligence (AI). Prasada also supported the possibility of increased investment from Washington in ISM2.0, called for stronger cooperation in AI technology and proposed a framework for safeguards in AI development.
After the bilateral meeting with Lutnick, the MoD wrote in a post on X that the discussions focused on the development of critical sectors that form the basis of the modern technological environment.
Prasada wrote, “Semiconductors. Artificial intelligence. Data centers. These are the critical building blocks of the emerging digital economy,” adding, “In my bilateral discussion with Mr. Howard Lutnick, US Secretary of Commerce, we exchanged views on enhancing cooperation in these areas and developing technology-driven opportunities between India and the United States.”
According to the report, the latest visit by the Indian delegation highlighted New Delhi’s growing contribution to the global technology and innovation environment and reaffirmed its focus on developing strategic partnerships.
