The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have signed a letter of intent (LoI) to explore future-ready infrastructure planning with artificial intelligence (AI)- driven digital twin technologies, marking the beginning of a new phase of strategic collaboration.

Through this LoI, both sides intend to initiate discussions regarding the conditions and modalities for carrying out common initiatives and projects, particularly to drive innovation in digital twins, AI-driven solutions, virtual world technologies, and the transformative potential of IMT-2030 technologies; promote the development of global standards and best practices to ensure seamless interoperability and scalability; advance sustainable development through shared frameworks, capacity building, and cross-sectoral collaboration; and foster citizen engagement and participatory approaches to urban and infrastructure planning.

In his meeting with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general, ITU, Dr Neeraj Mitta, secretary, DoT, has reaffirmed India’s commitment to digital connectivity, inclusion, and innovation. Key focus areas of discussion included India’s leadership in 5G/6G technologies, AI for digital transformation, cybersecurity frameworks, and ITU’s Partner2Connect initiative aimed at bridging the global digital divide. India also reiterated its pledge to support ITU’s initiatives by contributing to global connectivity projects and skill development programs.

Further, with the aim of positioning India as a global hub for policy discourse on telecommunications and ICT regulations, Dr Mittal also proposed to host the ITU-Plenipotentiary Conference 2030 in India. India’s proposal was positively acknowledged, and discussions will continue at the upcoming ITU Council Meeting.

The collaboration through the LoI marks a significant shift in the telecom sector’s role that is, evolving from simply providing connectivity to becoming a platform that delivers accurate, reliable, and insightful data for infrastructure planning. It opens up opportunities to explore innovative business models, enabling a new ecosystem to deliver scalable, data-driven, and knowledge- based solutions across industries, driving sustainable growth and shaping the future of infrastructure.

Key highlights of the collaboration include:

  • Knowledge sharing and capacity building – Facilitate the exchange of insights from initiatives like DoT’s Sangam and ITU’s Citiverse to improve cross-sectoral data integration and collaborative planning.
  • Global standards development – Contribute to ITU-T Study Group 20 on internet of thing (IoT), digital twins, and smart cities to create global standards, applications programming interfaces (APIs), and methodologies ensuring seamless scalability of AI-driven solutions.
  • Sandbox environments and demonstrations – Establish sandbox environments to test innovative digital twin technologies, conduct pilot projects, and adapt regulatory frameworks that validate the transformative potential of these technologies.
  • Citizen engagement and simulations – Use AI-powered platforms to engage citizens in real-time urban planning and infrastructure development, enhancing participatory governance and collaborative decision-making.
  • Mobile phone data (MPD) and privacy- Exchange insights on privacy-enhancing techniques (PETs) and their use in ICT measurement, particularly in the context of building digital twins for urban planning.
  • AI model integration for digital twins – Customise AI models using country-specific datasets to deliver context-sensitive solutions for infrastructure development and urban mobility challenges.