Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Tuesday, 25 August called on the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) to take India's homegrown telecom technologies beyond domestic borders and fast-track the journey from research labs to commercially viable, globally competitive products. The appeal came at C-DOT's 43rd Foundation Day in New Delhi.

The Minister's Core Message

Addressing C-DOT scientists and engineers, Scindia laid out a clear mandate: the organisation must develop technologies that are affordable, reliable, scalable, and globally competitive. 'We must create technologies that are affordable, dependable, scalable, and globally competitive, providing that intellectual foundation for India to move from the “Made in India” product to “Made in India, but made for the world,’' he said.

The minister stressed that C-DOT's ambitions must extend well beyond serving the domestic market. Emerging frontiers — 6G, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and cybersecurity — were cited as priority areas where India must not just participate but lead.

From 4G Follower to 6G Contender

Scindia highlighted India's rapid telecom evolution, noting the country had moved from lagging behind the world in 4G to keeping pace with global developments in 5G, and was now positioned to aspire for leadership in 6G. He pointed to C-DOT's indigenous 4G technology stack — deployed across approximately 1 lakh towers nationwide — as evidence of that trajectory.

By developing its own 4G stack, India has joined a select group of countries with that sovereign capability. Scindia urged C-DOT to build on this achievement, advancing its 5G capabilities and contributing meaningfully to the setting of global 6G standards.

A Young Workforce as Strategic Asset

C-DOT currently employs around 1,565 people, with more than half below the age of 40. Scindia described this young workforce as a strategic advantage as India races to build capabilities in next-generation technologies. He called on the organisation to combine 'courage, disruption, ownership and tenacity' to emerge as a global technology force.

Notably, the minister underscored that the telecom networks of the future would need to be secure, trusted, resilient, and intelligent — not merely connectivity pipes — a framing that reflects growing global anxiety around network sovereignty and supply-chain security.

The Viksit Bharat Backdrop

The Foundation Day address was set against India's broader Viksit Bharat 2047 goal — the government's vision of a developed India by the centenary of independence. Scindia framed C-DOT's role as central to that ambition, arguing that sustained research, repeated engineering refinement, and global cooperation would be the pillars of India's technology leadership. 'Research requires endurance. Engineering requires repeated refinement and global leadership requires sustained cooperation and contribution,' he said.

With the global telecom standards race intensifying — particularly around 6G, where China, the US, South Korea, and the EU are already staking positions — India's window to shape the next generation of connectivity infrastructure is narrow but open.