India Endorses Multinational 6G Leadership Initiative
India has officially endorsed the Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security, joining over 20 like-minded governments including Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, and South Korea in a shared commitment to shape sixth-generation wireless communications based on principles of openness, interoperability, security, resilience, resource efficiency, and innovation-led competition. The announcement was made on September 9, 2026, on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, under the United States' G20 Presidency.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will coordinate India's engagement under this initiative and manage follow-up activities with concerned government agencies, industry, academia, and other stakeholders. The endorsement advances India's ambition to contribute 10% of global 6G standards and patents under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, positioning the country from a technology adopter to a standard-setter.
Phased Implementation Timeline
The Call to Action establishes a graduated implementation schedule for participating governments. Within one month, each government must identify and designate expert 6G points of contact, designate the agency responsible for managing communications with the contact group, and prepare a preliminary list of relevant industry and academic stakeholders. Within three months, governments must engage the telecommunications sector to map the emerging landscape for secure and interoperable 6G, identify barriers to leadership, convene to examine findings, and begin identifying economic, political, and financial resources that could support 6G competitiveness.
Within six months, participants must strategize at expert level on supporting secure, resilient, sustainable, and innovative 6G supply chains over the long term, and consider how 6G leadership and security may be reflected in national and regional strategies. Within twelve months, participants will convene in person in 2027 to review progress, exchange lessons learned and best practices, and set priorities for the following year alongside relevant industry stakeholders.
Cooperation Areas and Safeguards
The initiative identifies multiple avenues for cooperation including coordination and information-sharing on 6G research and development; collaboration among trade and development finance agencies to support deployment of secure and resilient 5G and 6G technologies in global markets; assessment of technical and strategic cybersecurity risks associated with telecommunications sector investments; greater transparency on supply chain developments and vulnerabilities; realizing the full potential of 5G systems for industrial, commercial, security and defense applications; and working with industry to shape global 6G standards including strong security standards in standards development organizations.
The Call to Action expressly provides that participation does not bind or limit any government's authority to pursue independent positioning or autonomy in relation to industry-driven standards bodies, and that each participant's next steps will vary according to national priorities, resources, and capabilities. It also cautions against duplicating technical work already underway in industry-led standardization forums.
Domestic Foundation and International Context
India's participation builds on established domestic initiatives including the Bharat 6G Vision, the Bharat 6G Alliance, and the indigenous 4G and 5G technology stack. In line with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, engagement under the Call to Action will complement India's ongoing work in international standardization and spectrum forums, without prejudice to India's independent positions in those forums.
The announcement was marked by a handshake between Shri Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, and Electronics and Information Technology, and Mr. Howard Lutnick, United States Secretary of Commerce, symbolizing the international cooperation aspect of this initiative.