The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI) during the 9th TSDSI Technical Deep Dive (TTDD) 2026 in New Delhi, in the presence of Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia. The agreement is designed to increase India’s contribution to global telecom standards and create a pathway for Indian startups, MSMEs, and researchers to shape the next generation of communication technology under the Bharat 6G Mission. This marks a strategic push by India to move from being a technology consumer to a technology creator in the global telecom ecosystem.
What the MoU Entails
The MoU between DoT and TSDSI is implemented under the Technology Development and Investment Promotion (TDIP) Scheme, a flagship programme of the DoT with a financial outlay of ₹203 crore for the period 2026 31. The scheme is designed to support startups, MSMEs, academia, industry, and standards organisations in technology development, testing, certification, and commercialisation, with a strong focus on 5G Advanced and 6G technologies.
The primary objective of the agreement is to increase India’s contribution to global Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and oneM2M. It also aims to promote indigenous technologies and enhance the participation of Indian innovators in international telecom standards development.
Speaking at the event, Minister Scindia said telecommunications has transformed human possibilities by expanding the boundaries of connectivity. He noted that India has emerged as a global centre for emerging technologies and is contributing to the evolution of future communication technologies not just for India but for the world.
Financial Support for Indian Innovators
One of the most significant aspects of the MoU is the financial support it unlocks for Indian startups and MSMEs to participate in international standardisation. The TDIP Scheme provides up to 98% support towards TSDSI membership fees for eligible DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) recognised startups and MSMEs with an annual turnover of up to ₹10 crore. MSMEs with a turnover between ₹10 crore and ₹500 crore can receive up to 80% support.
The agreement extends similar financial assistance for 3GPP Individual Membership fees, enabling Indian innovators to contribute directly to the development of global 5G Advanced and 6G standards. This is a crucial step because being a member of 3GPP allows Indian entities to submit technical proposals that could become part of the global standard.
To further encourage active participation, DoT will provide travel assistance of up to 80% of eligible expenditure, subject to a ceiling of ₹5 lakh per person per international standards meeting, for startups and MSMEs presenting Indian technical contributions at global forums. This addresses one of the biggest barriers small innovators face: the high cost of attending international standards meetings.
| Support Category | Beneficiary | Level of Support |
|---|---|---|
| TSDSI Membership Fee | Startups / MSMEs (turnover up to ₹10 crore) | Up to 98% |
| TSDSI Membership Fee | MSMEs (turnover ₹10 500 crore) | Up to 80% |
| 3GPP Individual Membership Fee | Eligible Indian innovators | Similar subsidised structure |
| International Travel | Startups and MSMEs presenting technical contributions | Up to 80% (capped at ₹5 lakh per person per meeting) |
The partnership also includes support for hosting major international telecom standards meetings such as 3GPP and oneM2M conferences in India. This is expected to boost participation from Indian academia, startups, and industry while positioning the country as a preferred destination for global telecom standardisation discussions.
Why Global Telecom Standards Matter
Telecom standards are the technical rules that ensure mobile phones, networks, and devices across the world work together seamlessly. When a smartphone made in India connects to a network in Europe, it works because both follow the same global standards. These standards are developed by global SDOs through years of technical discussions, testing, and consensus building among member countries and companies.
Whoever contributes to these standards gains a significant strategic advantage. The country or company whose technology gets embedded in the standard earns royalties from every device that uses it. In the 5G era, India held only about 1.5% of global patents, which meant it paid licensing fees to foreign patent holders for nearly every 5G device sold in the country. For 6G, India has set a target of 10% of global patents, a seven fold increase that would translate into billions of dollars in royalty savings and earnings.
Key Standards Bodies
The MoU targets three major global SDOs where Indian participation needs to increase:
3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) is the global body that develops protocols for mobile telecommunications. It unites seven SDOs from different regions, including TSDSI from India, as organisational partners. 3GPP produces the technical specifications that define how cellular networks from 3G to 5G and now 6G operate. India has made over 230 contributions to 3GPP, and a key achievement was the acceptance of India’s single cell with large coverage scenario as an official 3GPP evaluation scenario, reflecting the country’s rural connectivity needs.
ITU (International Telecommunication Union) is the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It defines the overall framework and requirements for each generation of mobile networks through its IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) standards: IMT 2000 (3G), IMT Advanced (4G), IMT 2020 (5G), and now IMT 2030 (6G). India is a member state and has been actively submitting technical inputs to ITU.
oneM2M is a global partnership project that develops standards for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine (M2M) communications. Founded in 2012, it brings together eight leading ICT SDOs, including TSDSI, to create a common services layer that enables IoT devices from different manufacturers to interoperate.
TSDSI: India’s Telecom Standards Development Organisation
TSDSI (Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India) was established on 7 January 2014 as an outcome of the National Telecom Policy 2012 (NTP 2012), which resolved to set up an Indian telecom SDO. It is registered as a not for profit society under the Indian Societies Registration Act and is jointly supported by the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
TSDSI is headquartered at the C DOT Campus in Mehrauli, New Delhi. Its mandate is to develop, promote, and standardise India specific telecom and ICT requirements and solutions. It also takes Indian requirements and innovations to global standards organisations.
The organisation is an Organisational Partner of 3GPP and oneM2M, and a Sector Member of ITU. This means TSDSI can participate directly in the standards making processes of these bodies and ensure that India’s unique needs, such as connectivity for rural and remote areas, are reflected in global standards.
Over the past decade, TSDSI has made several notable contributions. It brought the concept of Low Mobility Large Cell (LMLC) into ITU standards, a technology designed for rural and sparsely populated areas where users move slowly but need wide coverage. It has also transposed thousands of 3GPP standards for adoption as national standards through the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC).
The Bharat 6G Mission and India’s Ambitions
The Bharat 6G Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 March 2023 with the release of the Bharat 6G Vision Document and the inauguration of the 6G R&D Test Bed. The vision document set a target of deploying 6G services in India by 2030. The mission is implemented in two phases: Phase I (2023 2025) focused on explorative ideas, risky pathways, and proof of concept tests, while Phase II (2026 2030) aims to develop promising concepts into Intellectual Property (IP), testbeds, and commercial products.
The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA), formed in July 2023 as an industry led collaborative platform, has grown from 14 founding institutions to over 85 members as of 2026. It operates working groups covering spectrum, technology, devices, applications, sustainability, and outreach.
India’s 6G ambitions are backed by impressive numbers. The country has already contributed approximately 4,000 patents in the 6G domain, ranking among the top six nations globally. The government has committed ₹10,000 crore toward 6G research and development. In May 2026, Reliance Jio formally submitted its 6G framework to the ITU, entering directly into the IMT 2030 standardisation process.
The MoU between DoT and TSDSI is a key enabler of this larger vision. By providing financial support and institutional backing to startups, MSMEs, and academia, it aims to convert India’s growing patent portfolio into meaningful contributions to global standards. The TDIP Scheme, with its ₹203 crore outlay, acts as the financial engine that powers this participation.
| Metric | 5G Era | 6G Target (2030) |
|---|---|---|
| India’s share of global patents | ~1.5% | 10% |
| Cumulative patent filings | Minimal | ~4,000 (as of 2026) |
| 3GPP contributions | Low | 230+ contributions |
| B6GA membership | Not applicable | 85+ members |
| Research funding corpus | Limited | ₹10,000 crore |
Key Takeaways
- The DoT signed an MoU with TSDSI during the 9th TSDSI Technical Deep Dive (TTDD) 2026 in New Delhi to boost India’s role in global telecom standardisation.
- The MoU is implemented under the Technology Development and Investment Promotion (TDIP) Scheme, which has a financial outlay of ₹203 crore for 2026 31.
- Eligible DPIIT recognised startups and MSMEs can receive up to 98% subsidy on TSDSI membership fees, with travel assistance of up to ₹5 lakh per person per international standards meeting.
- TSDSI was established on 7 January 2014 under the National Telecom Policy 2012 and is headquartered at the C DOT Campus in New Delhi.
- The Bharat 6G Mission was launched on 22 March 2023 with a target of deploying 6G services by 2030 and a goal of India contributing 10% of global 6G patents.
- India has already filed approximately 4,000 6G related patents, ranking among the top six nations globally, and has made over 230 contributions to 3GPP.
