India And Sweden Strengthen Telecom And Digital Cooperation

23 Feb 2026 CW Team

The agenda prioritised expansion of 5G and 5G Advanced use cases across healthcare, agriculture, smart cities and rural connectivity, and emphasised sustainability and inclusive enterprise development. India noted it has over 1.23 billion (bn) telecom subscribers and one billion (bn) internet users, with four operators and 4G coverage extending to 98.5 per cent of the population, targeting universal 4G saturation across villages by June 2026. The minister said the 5G rollout was completed in 21 months with investments of USD 5.5 billion (bn) and public capital expenditure of nearly USD 16.9 billion (bn) to connect Gram Panchayats.

The role of the state owned operator BSNL was highlighted, including its indigenous 4G stack and service to over 93 million (mn) subscribers, alongside measures to increase renewable energy usage in telecom towers and a clean energy transition goal by 2030. India's Digital Public Infrastructure model anchored in Aadhaar, UPI and DigiLocker was presented as an inclusive, scalable framework for secure digital governance and economic participation, described as the invisible highway driving economic growth.

Both sides discussed early engagement in 6G research, spectrum harmonisation and coordinated participation in international standard setting, noting the Bharat 6G Alliance's target to contribute at least 10 per cent of global 6G patents. They identified Open RAN, network modernisation, trusted supply chains and quantum communication as priority domains and agreed work plans under the Joint Working Group. The Indian side sought Swedish support for its ITU nominations and for hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030, while both parties reaffirmed commitment to build trusted, resilient and inclusive digital ecosystems.

A bilateral meeting was held on 18 February 2026 at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi, between Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and the Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, Ebba Busch, to review cooperation in telecommunications and digital transformation. The discussions set shared priorities on next generation connectivity, secure digital infrastructure, innovation, growth and sustainability. Both sides acknowledged the India-Sweden Joint Working Group on Digital Technologies and Economy and agreed to schedule the third meeting in Stockholm. The agenda prioritised expansion of 5G and 5G Advanced use cases across healthcare, agriculture, smart cities and rural connectivity, and emphasised sustainability and inclusive enterprise development. India noted it has over 1.23 billion (bn) telecom subscribers and one billion (bn) internet users, with four operators and 4G coverage extending to 98.5 per cent of the population, targeting universal 4G saturation across villages by June 2026. The minister said the 5G rollout was completed in 21 months with investments of USD 5.5 billion (bn) and public capital expenditure of nearly USD 16.9 billion (bn) to connect Gram Panchayats. The role of the state owned operator BSNL was highlighted, including its indigenous 4G stack and service to over 93 million (mn) subscribers, alongside measures to increase renewable energy usage in telecom towers and a clean energy transition goal by 2030. India's Digital Public Infrastructure model anchored in Aadhaar, UPI and DigiLocker was presented as an inclusive, scalable framework for secure digital governance and economic participation, described as the invisible highway driving economic growth. Both sides discussed early engagement in 6G research, spectrum harmonisation and coordinated participation in international standard setting, noting the Bharat 6G Alliance's target to contribute at least 10 per cent of global 6G patents. They identified Open RAN, network modernisation, trusted supply chains and quantum communication as priority domains and agreed work plans under the Joint Working Group. The Indian side sought Swedish support for its ITU nominations and for hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030, while both parties reaffirmed commitment to build trusted, resilient and inclusive digital ecosystems.

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