As India’s 5G roll-out matures and network architectures grow increasingly complex, the demands placed on the test and measurement domain are expanding well beyond traditional research and development (R&D), validation to encompass production testing, spectrum monitoring, radio access network (RAN) conformance, terrestrial-to-satellite convergence and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven network operations. In an interview with tele.net, Martin Bloss, Senior Director, Non-signalling and Production Test, and Jayanth Ramachandran, Senior Director, Sales, Wireless Communications, T&M, Rohde & Schwarz, discussed how the company is supporting India’s 5G ecosystem across R&D, validation, production, network infrastructure testing, network and spectrum monitoring, and quality of service validation. Emerging technologies such as non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), AI/machine learning, Wi-Fi 8, mMIMO and pre-6G are reshaping the test and measurement landscape. They also discussed what will drive growth in the Indian market over the next two to three years. Edited excerpts…
How have test and measurement requirements evolved in India as telecom operators scale their 5G requirements? Where is Rohde & Schwarz seeing the strongest demand today?
Martin Bloss
In general, the test and measurement demand we see in India mirrors what we see worldwide. India is a global market and, together with the needs we have observed there, we have evolved our instruments accordingly. The R&S®CMX500, for instance, serves as a network emulator and tester, particularly for smart device testing. We provide industry-leading solutions to verify the performance of devices as well as networks as they evolve, supported by our mobile network testing solutions and our broader test and measurement portfolio in India.
Jayanth Ramachandran
Testing occurs across both sides of the network. We test completely on the user equipment (UE) side and test the physical layer in the network domain. We cover the entire product lifecycle, from component to the chip and leading to the system level. This spans R&D testing, conformance testing and production testing, which involves calibration and verification. The strongest demand in India has historically been in R&D. Over the past three to four years, however, production testing has grown to an equal share, driven by the Make in India initiative and the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, which brought a significant number of mobile handset manufacturers and contract manufacturers into the country.
How is Rohde & Schwarz supporting India’s 5G roll-out across network infrastructure testing, spectrum monitoring and quality of service validation?
Martin Bloss
The portfolio addresses the complete lifecycle and value chain. On spectrum monitoring, we have stationary systems to cover wide areas for broad surveillance and portable handheld solutions for interference hunting at the last mile, where engineers may need to walk around with antennas to locate the source of interference. Together, these form a comprehensive one-stop offering for spectrum monitoring applications.
Jayanth Ramachandran
We work with chipset companies, handset companies, network infrastructure companies, contract manufacturers, production original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), network operators and test labs. Our R&D, calibration, conformance and field test solutions are used widely by all the above customers.
Spectrum is a scarce and commercially significant resource. Our scanners identify which portions of the spectrum are occupied and which are not, supporting regulators in spectrum auction planning. Given India’s land borders with multiple countries, cross-border interference monitoring is also an important application for these systems.
For mobile network testing, Rohde & Schwarz acquired a company called SwissQual, which develops mobile network testing tools. These include a test mobile linked to the network for testing audio quality, video quality, call drops and call hold duration, as well as drive testing to assess the quality of service across geographies. Benchmarking tools from the same portfolio enable comparisons across operators, measuring the key performance indicators each operator is required to maintain.
How is the growing complexity of network architectures (Open RAN [O-RAN], non-terrestrial networks, etc.) changing the test and measurement landscape? How is Rohde & Schwarz addressing this?
Martin Bloss
We address complexity through both portfolio depth and intelligent tooling. At the same time, we are simplifying test mode operations in highly complex environments such as network emulations by using agentic approaches and agentic solutions. The AI Workplace is an important product we are currently developing and rolling out specifically to help customers operate and manage network complexity as it continues to evolve.
On the partnership side, particularly with Viavi on O-RAN and NTN, we build on strong relationships both globally and with local partners. When it comes to innovating around and managing new technologies such as 6G and NTN, we are very focused on close collaboration with customers to find the right solution for their specific measurement challenges. We have done this with leading chipset and infrastructure companies as well as global satellite service providers, positioning ourselves alongside the customer at the point where the problem is being solved.
Jayanth Ramachandran
On O-RAN, the disaggregated architecture involves different vendors supplying the O-RU (radio unit), O-DU (distributed unit) and O-CU (centralised unit), all of which must interoperate and co-work with each other. We provide functional and conformance testing solutions for the radio in collaboration with Viavi.
On NTNs, which are a significant focus within 5G Advanced, we offer solutions for UE, satellite access node and end-to-end testing. The R&S®SMW 200A signal generator is capable of testing the access node, and we are collaborating with Viavi to provide end-to-end NTN emulation. The R&S®CMX platform carries coded test plans for leading satellite service providers in narrowband-NTN and new radio-NTN, enabling OEMs to validate their devices before field deployment. Activity around reduced capability (RedCap) and enhanced RedCap (eRedCap) is also growing, given their applicability to wearables and potentially to low-cost fixed wireless access solutions. We have solutions across all of these areas.
AI is increasingly being integrated into network operations and device development. How is this shaping the test and measurement tools and methodologies that operators and manufacturers require?
Martin Bloss
We are actively engaged with leading providers of network infrastructure and handset manufacturers to support the testing of their AI approaches. One example is our collaboration with a leading chipset company to verify channel state information feedback compression techniques for their modems using the R&S®CMX platform. Another is our work with a leading network infrastructure player on digital post-distortion techniques, where we provide full end-to-end testbeds to support customers at the earliest stage of model development, ensuring performance before anything is deployed in the field. The core challenge is model verification. Our Vector Signal Explorer solution addresses this by allowing neural receiver models to be loaded directly into the software and emulated through hardware-in-the-loop testing, enabling verification of the models and their behaviour before the hardware is built and deployed.
Jayanth Ramachandran
Beyond model verification, AI is also changing how testing workflows themselves are constructed. Modem testing requires engineers to script large numbers of functional/negative scenarios to test the robustness of Layer 2 and Layer 3 protocols. Previously, this was done manually in C++ or Python. Our AI script assistance tool will create, edit and explain the scripts. It can look up tables, extract relevant sections from the test plan and generate the scripts independently, significantly reducing the burden on engineering teams.
What is your outlook for the test and measurement market in India over the next two to three years? Which segments will drive the most significant growth for Rohde & Schwarz?
Martin Bloss
Business growth is one side of the picture. The other is value creation within India. Our development teams at sites in Delhi and Bangalore are actively building R&D capability locally. We are also locally sourcing and building certain systems here. This represents a full-fledged commitment to the Indian market, not simply a commercial presence, and it is an approach we are deeply committed to continuing.
Jayanth Ramachandran
The outlook is strongly positive. While the broader test and measurement industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 6 per cent, Rohde & Schwarz anticipates outpacing the market by 3-4 per cent. Our diversified portfolio across aerospace and defence, wireless, automotive and semiconductors positions
us well.
Double-digit growth is already being seen in electromagnetic compatibility testing and automated test systems for defence applications. Renewed momentum is expected in wireless as the industry moves towards 6G. Government initiatives, including the PLI scheme, the design-linked incentive scheme and the India Semiconductor Mission, are also contributing, as is the broader shift of global supply chains and investment into India driven by geopolitical considerations.
