Jeanette Whyte, Head of Public Policy, GSMA APAC

As India approaches the centenary of its independence in 2047, the country’s digital transformation has shifted from accelerated expansion to a new phase defined by ambition, autonomy and global leadership. Digital sovereignty – once an abstract concept – is now central to India’s long‑term economic strategy. It is shaping decisions across infrastructure investment, data governance, supply chain resilience, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and innovation ecosystems.

Against this backdrop, the emerging 6G era will not simply be a technological milestone. For India, it represents the platform through which  national interests, economic competitiveness and digital empowerment converge. Three areas are particularly pivotal in this transition: the convergence of AI and telecom, India’s evolving role in 6G standards and data policy, and new paths to monetisation through 5G‑Advanced and the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.

AI-telecom convergence: Architecting AI‑native networks for the world’s largest data economy

India operates one of the world’s largest, most diverse digital ecosystems. With over a billion connected devices and mobile broadband reaching nearly the entire population, the volume and complexity of data traffic are set to intensify dramatically as AI‑enabled services proliferate. The shift to AI‑native networks is, therefore, not optional, it is foundational.

Indian operators have deployed more than 460,000 5G base stations in three years, but the next wave requires far more intelligence and contextual automation to manage scale, density and use‑case diversity. This is where agentic AI – autonomous AI systems capable of making real‑time, risk‑aware decisions – will transform Indian telecom. Agentic AI can:

  • Predict and resolve network congestion before it affects users
  • Automate energy optimisation, which is vital given India’s network scale
  • Strengthen fraud detection, crucial as digital scams rise in smaller cities
  • Enable intelligent network planning and optimisation, reducing human intervention and operational costs.

India’s focus on homegrown AI solutions – including the India AI Mission and the BharatGen large language model – creates an advantage few countries have: AI architectures built around Indian languages, behaviours and governance models.

With 6G expected to embed intelligence from cloud to edge, India’s ambition is clear: to lead the global shift from “connectivity‑first” to “intelligence‑first” networks, where AI is not an add‑on but the architectural core.

Standards and policy: India steps forward as a 6G standards‑setter

Through the Bharat 6G Vision and an expanded domestic research and development (R&D) framework, India is transitioning from being a standards‑taker to a standards‑setter.

Strengthening India’s hand through APAC 6G collaboration

A growing and strategically important dimension of India’s standards work is deeper cooperation with countries such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore. These partnerships strengthen India’s ability to influence global forums while supporting the development of secure, interoperable next‑generation networks across Asia.

India’s 6G alliances benefit from:

  • Japan’s advanced R&D and early 6G testing
  • South Korea’s leadership in devices, semiconductors and network innovation
  • Vietnam’s rapid digitalisation and alignment with India’s open, digital public infrastructure (DPI)‑driven approach
  • Singapore’s expertise in regulatory sandboxes and global standards diplomacy.

Taken together, these ties form an emerging APAC 6G coalition that amplifies India’s voice in the International Telecommunication Union, 3GPP and other standards‑setting bodies – ensuring the region shapes, rather than adapts to, the next era of telecom.

DPDP Rules 2025: A new era of data governance

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, now moving towards full implementation through the Draft Rules, 2025, reinforces India’s commitment to trusted digital ecosystems.

  • For telecom operators, DPDP introduces the following rules:
  • Clearer obligations on lawful processing
  • Stronger user rights requirements
  • Enhanced expectations on incident response and cybersecurity

For the wider ecosystem, the DPDP underpins India’s goal of becoming a global hub for trusted data flows, essential for AI‑driven services and 6G cross‑border interoperability.

Monetisation and innovation: 5G‑Advanced and Open Gateway as catalysts for new revenues

India’s 5G roll-out has been among the fastest in the world, but monetisation has not kept pace with deployment. The transition to 5G‑Advanced – with capabilities spanning enhanced positioning, uplink‑centric services, industrial automation and massive internet of things – will open new pathways for operator revenue.

GSMA Open Gateway: India’s major opportunity

GSMA Open Gateway is emerging as one of the industry’s most promising monetisation frameworks. By enabling network capabilities through standardised application programming interfaces (APIs), it allows operators to participate in a global marketplace of developer‑ready services.

In India, early APIs – such as SIM Swap, Device Location, Number Verification, one-time password validation and know-your-customer match – are already playing a pivotal role in anti‑fraud applications, a critical challenge in one of the world’s busiest digital payments markets.

Indian mobile network operators can leverage Open Gateway to:

  • Build enterprise‑grade digital services
  • Enable fintech and logistics innovation
  • Support India Stack 2.0 with network‑level intelligence
  • Export interoperable network capabilities across the Global South.

Given India’s unique scale, even modest adoption of these APIs can translate into significant new revenue streams.

Looking ahead: Digital inclusion and spectrum policy for the 6G era

Beyond AI networks and monetisation, two areas demand close attention:

Bridging the usage gap

Despite near‑universal 4G/5G coverage, 47 per cent of Indians remain offline, with Indian women 33 per cent less likely to use mobile internet. Without targeted interventions – affordable devices, digital literacy and safety‑by‑design tools – the benefits of 6G risk deepening existing inequalities.

A spectrum road map aligned with India’s 6G vision

  • To capitalise on 6G, India needs:
  • A predictable spectrum road map
  • Globally competitive pricing
  • Clear refarming pathways
  • Support for non-terrestrial network, AI‑driven spectrum sharing and high‑band deployment.

India’s leadership will depend not only on technology readiness but on spectrum policy that enables long‑term investment and innovation.

Conclusion: India’s 6G moment of opportunity

India’s digital sovereignty vision is bold and far‑reaching. The building blocks – AI‑native networks, secure data governance, domestic manufacturing, world‑class digital public infrastructure and a future‑ready workforce – are already in motion.

The convergence of AI and telecom, strategic participation in 6G standardisation, strengthened APAC partnerships and monetisation opportunities through Open Gateway will shape India’s trajectory for decades. If supported by forward‑looking spectrum policy, deeper cross‑sector collaboration and a strong focus on digital inclusion, India will not only achieve digital sovereignty, it has the potential to define the global benchmark for it.