India and Germany reaffirmed cooperation in telecommunications and digital transformation after a bilateral meeting on 18 February 2026 at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi between the Union Minister of Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region and the German Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernization. The meeting followed the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent on 10 January 2026 during the India?Germany Summit and was presented as a non?binding framework for structured collaboration.

The Indian minister outlined India’s digital transformation, noting over 1.23 billion (bn) telecom subscribers and nearly a billion (bn) internet users, with 5G coverage in approximately 99.9 per cent of districts. He said data tariffs average around Rs 0.10 per GB and highlighted robust Digital Public Infrastructure that enables affordable connectivity and services. He referred to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which has become a model for interoperable digital payments and is processing approximately 250 billion (bn) transactions annually.

The German minister expressed interest in structured cooperation on advanced telecom systems, digital governance and secure networks and emphasised early engagement on six?generation technologies. He noted Germany’s work in quantum encryption and secure information transport, citing a demonstration of quantum communication over a 35 km link for 11 consecutive days, and proposed deeper research links. Institutional collaboration between the Centre for Development of Telematics and the Fraunhofer Heinrich?Hertz Institute was cited as a successful model for joint R&D in Open RAN, artificial intelligence in telecom and next?generation networks.

Both sides agreed to convene the first high?level meeting under the Joint Declaration of Intent to finalise an initial two?year work plan, identify priority areas and launch flagship initiatives with clear timelines and stakeholder responsibilities. They reaffirmed commitment to cooperation on 5G and 5G?Advanced, Open RAN, network modernisation, supply chain resilience, industry?grade network slicing and AI at the edge, and to coordinated engagement in international fora such as the International Telecommunication Union. The Indian side sought Germany’s support for India’s candidature to the Radiocommunication Bureau and for hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030.