The Telecommunication Engineering Centre, the technical body of the Department of Telecommunications, has recently signed an MoU with IIIT Delhi to collaborate on advanced telecom research, joint studies and global standardisation efforts. The partnership focuses on developing India-specific standards, test frameworks and technical contributions for next-generation technologies including 6G, optical communication and non-terrestrial networks.

The MoU, signed on 19 November 2025, establishes a structured mechanism for TEC and IIIT Delhi to jointly advance work in areas such as AI-enabled network optimisation, SDN and NFV, free-space optical communication, Li-Fi and renewable-energy-based telecom systems. The collaboration also aims to strengthen India’s participation in ITU-T Study Groups through enhanced contributions from National Working Groups.

By accelerating indigenous R&D and expanding India’s role in global standardisation forums such as ITU and 3GPP, the partnership is expected to support the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. It seeks to foster home-grown telecom solutions, reinforce critical communications infrastructure and reduce external dependence.