India's First Participation in Global Standard Setting: Transition from a Technology Follower to a Rule Shaper

On February 27, 2026, Indian Communications Minister Chatrapati Scindia announced at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Center in New Delhi that India's proposal for global universal connectivity has been adopted by the International Telecommunication Union and will be included in the discussion framework for 6G standard development. This marks the first time India has secured a formal seat in the standard-setting process for a global generational shift in mobile communications, coming just 22 months after the country completed its large-scale 5G network deployment.

Strategic Shift from Executor to Designer

In her speech, Scardia described the transformation of India's telecommunications industry as follows: India followed the world in the 4G era, walked alongside the world in the 5G era, and we will lead the world in the 6G era. Currently, India's 5G network covers 99.9% of the country's administrative divisions, with over 400 million users migrating from 4G to 5G. This market, with 1.2 billion mobile users, completed the vast majority of its base station construction between 2023 and 2025, at a pace faster than other major economies during the same period.

Deeper changes have occurred at the standards development level. The International Telecommunication Union is the core forum for global mobile communication technology standards. In the development of past generations of technology standards, Indian representatives mostly played the roles of observers or technology adopters. In 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the Bharat 6G Vision. Subsequently, the established Bharat 6G Alliance expanded from an initial 15 members to over 100 institutions, covering operators, equipment vendors, academia, and startups. This alliance has established partnerships with similar organizations in more than 30 countries worldwide, accumulating technical and diplomatic resources for India's participation in standards development.

Skadia stated: The acceptance of our universal connectivity proposal signifies that India, alongside other stakeholders, is setting standards for the world. The concept of universal connectivity emphasizes extending 6G network coverage to remote areas and underserved populations, which aligns with India's need to connect hundreds of millions of unconnected individuals and meets the infrastructure requirements of Global South countries.

Security architecture and standard development advance simultaneously.

In the same speech, Scadia detailed the new SIM binding regulations set to take effect on March 1, 2026. According to the directive from India's Department of Telecommunications, overseas instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal must ensure that user accounts are bound to the active SIM card physically inserted in the device. Web and desktop sessions will automatically log out every six hours, requiring reauthentication via a QR code from the primary device. The Minister pointed out: SIM binding has become an urgent priority. Otherwise, when users change their mobile numbers, their OTT platform accounts remain active, and we cannot verify the user's identity.

This approach of parallelizing cybersecurity governance with the formulation of cutting-edge technical standards reflects India's dual positioning of telecommunications infrastructure. On one hand, communication networks are regarded as digital highways that carry communications, livelihoods, and the operation of the global economy, necessitating the establishment of security firewalls to address cross-border fraud and identity theft. On the other hand, India is attempting to translate its experience in massive user scale, cost control, and digital public infrastructure into influence over global technical norms.

Market data supports India's confidence. The price of mobile data in India has dropped from 287 rupees per GB 12 years ago to less than 8 rupees now, which is only one-fifth of the global average price of 2.49 dollars. Internet users have grown from 250 million to 1 billion, broadband users have expanded from 60 million to 1 billion, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 30%. This model of trading scale for accessibility is becoming a technological governance paradigm that India promotes to the International Telecommunication Union.

Satellite Communication and Spectrum Strategy Deployment

The competition for 6G standards is not only about terrestrial mobile networks. In his speech, Scardia positioned satellite communication as a necessary supplement for areas that cannot be covered by any other technology. India has issued operating licenses to OneWeb, Starlink, and the satellite division of Reliance Industries. Commercial-scale deployment will commence after completing security demonstrations and administrative spectrum pricing. The minister emphasized: during natural disasters when all systems fail, satellites are the only systems that remain operational.

Spectrum resource allocation is another critical aspect. The trade-offs in coverage, capacity, and speed across different frequency bands directly impact network quality, competitive landscape, and the pace of transition from 5G to 6G. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has already proposed recommendations for future spectrum auctions, and the government has indicated it will make decisions after assessing market demand. Analysts point out that if India can propose innovative solutions for mid-band (3.5-6 GHz) and high-band (millimeter wave) spectrum allocation and promote their inclusion in global standards, it will influence the global telecom equipment market and terminal ecosystem over the next decade.

The integration of satellite and terrestrial networks is a crucial direction in the evolution of 6G technology. Preliminary discussion documents from the International Telecommunication Union indicate that 6G may achieve integrated communication and sensing, AI-native network management, and applications in the terahertz frequency band. India's open approach in the field of satellite communication, combined with its 5G private network trials in states such as Kerala and Gujarat, is fostering end-to-end technological verification capabilities.

India's Positioning in Geotechnological Competition

The formulation of global 6G standards is a game involving technological pathways, industrial interests, and governance philosophies. Currently, the main competing camps include: European companies represented by Ericsson and Nokia emphasize network reliability and privacy protection; American companies such as Qualcomm and Intel focus on open interfaces and software-defined networking; Chinese manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE promote ultra-large-scale connectivity and integrated architectures. India's participation brings the perspective of a developing country with a market of 1.4 billion people.

The "6G Strategic Vision Document" released by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in 2025 proposes three pillars: inclusive connectivity, sustainable networks, and a domestic innovation ecosystem. This aligns with Skadia's emphasis on shifting from a service-driven to a product-driven strategy. India is promoting the construction of a complete industrial chain from chips and semiconductors to large language models and telecommunications equipment, attempting to change its status as primarily a technology consumption market during the 2G to 5G eras.

Geopolitical factors are also at play. India has already collaborated with the Quad Security Dialogue (comprising the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India) in the field of telecommunications infrastructure. In 2024, the Quad jointly funded $20 million to assist Palau in upgrading its telecommunications network. During the 6G standard-setting process, India may become a key voting force that various parties seek to win over. Meanwhile, India has established 6G alliance partnerships with over 30 countries, covering Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, which enhances its bargaining power.

Looking from a longer-term perspective, the Indian telecommunications industry is undergoing an evolution from being a market player to a laboratory and then to a rule-maker. In the 1980s, when mobile communications were introduced, India relied entirely on imported equipment; in the 2000s, during the 2G popularization phase, domestic operators began to rise; in the 2010s, the 4G era saw the emergence of disruptive companies like Reliance Jio in India; in the 2020s, with 5G deployment, India demonstrated astonishing construction speed; by the 2030s, with 6G commercialization, India aims to export not only network coverage but also technical standards, security frameworks, and governance approaches.

At the conclusion of the summit, Scardia stated: By 2047, we will lead the world in GDP contribution and economic strength, and become the philosophical offspring of creating the prosperous concept of "One World, One Family." Whether India can achieve the leap from Digital India to a Digital World India solution in the 6G era depends not only on the quality of its technological proposals but also on its ability to find a balance among multiple values such as efficiency, security, and inclusivity, and to gain broader international consensus.

The ITU's 6G standardization process will continue until 2028-2029, with the final standards expected to be established around 2030. Over the next three years, Indian representatives will test their technical concepts and diplomatic skills at the Geneva Conference Center, technical working groups, and bilateral consultations. The outcome of this game will determine the underlying logic of the global communication network for the next decade, as well as India's role in it—whether it will be another technology adopter or a true rule-shaper.