Unfolding India’s digital journey beyond 5G

The recent Voice&Data 5G+ Conference, held in New Delhi, gathered telecom leaders, industry experts, and policymakers to discuss the evolution of 5G and beyond, marking 30 years of advancements in India’s telecom landscape. Themed “Igniting Innovation, Empowering Entrepreneurship, Driving Growth,” the sixth edition of the conference served as a platform to address the challenges, opportunities, and future directions for the telecom sector, exploring how next-generation connectivity will shape India’s digital future.

The conference began with the lighting of the lamp and welcome address by Pradeep Gupta, Chairman of CyberMedia Group, followed by opening remarks from Peeyush Vaish, Partner and TMT Industry Leader at Deloitte South Asia. Vaish highlighted India’s rapid 5G deployment as a global benchmark and shared how cloud storage will soon replace local storage needs, aided by seamless connectivity. He projected that AI and biometric technology would eventually replace traditional passwords, enhancing data security. “India’s 5G rollout has been dramatically fast,” Vaish noted, underscoring the transformative impact of this technology on consumer and enterprise data handling.

Bharti Airtel CTO Randeep Singh Sekhon highlighted India’s unprecedented 5G adoption, which has reached nearly all urban areas and extends into rural regions. Sekhon shared that around 200–250 million Indians now own 5G-enabled devices, making the country a leader in digital infrastructure.

Sekhon emphasised the potential of network slicing and low-latency communication, technologies that allow high-priority services and applications for emergency responders. He urged entrepreneurs to explore new applications in the Indian market, noting, “5G is an infrastructure that enables digital inclusivity for our data-starved population.”

Vish Iyer, President of service Provider APJ at Cisco, discussed the company’s three-decade journey in India and explained how its innovations in transport networks supported India’s rise from #150 to #1 in global data consumption rankings.

“Cisco’s commitment to building efficient, secure, and climate-resilient networks has made our technology a global standard,” Iyer said, noting that Cisco’s work with Indian telecom operators has had a worldwide impact, with companies like AT&T adopting their solutions. Cisco continues to lead in developing intelligent, autonomous systems that address critical challenges in economic sustainability, energy efficiency, and security.

Gulshan Khurana, EVP at Vodafone Idea, highlighted the importance of using spectrum efficiently and introduced fixed wireless access as a solution for high-data consumers, aiming to provide stable, high-speed connections for services like gaming and streaming. Khurana further explained that AI-driven 5G Advanced networks would enable more efficient operations across sectors, particularly in industrial applications where real-time data handling is crucial.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

AND MARKET DYNAMICS

Several sessions at the conference explored the transformative role of emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and Satcom in shaping the telecom industry. Prabhu Ram, Vice President at CyberMedia Research, presented the findings of the V&D-CMR survey on India’s 5G readiness, revealing that 75% of Indian companies have incorporated 5G in the last two years to enhance connectivity and operational efficiency.

Despite the fast pace of adoption, Ram noted that challenges like limited network coverage and high costs slow the broader integration of 5G. According to the survey, manufacturing and customer service sectors have been early adopters, capitalising on 5G’s ability to drive productivity and improve customer experiences. The survey was published in the September 2024 issue of the Voice&Data.

Shivaji Chatterjee, CEO of Hughes Communication, discussed the role of satellite communications (Satcom) in extending 5G and IoT ecosystems, especially in remote regions. With traditional cellular networks covering only about 70–75% of India’s landmass, Satcom and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites fill the connectivity gap, enabling applications from smart farming to logistics.

Chatterjee explained that LEO satellites’ low latency makes them ideal for IoT and critical communication applications, thus transforming Satcom from a niche solution into a mainstream element of global telecommunications. Hughes is working to build a unified global network that connects remote areas, aligning with India’s digital inclusion goals.

INNOVATIONS AND USE CASES

The conference emphasised the industrial applications of 5G, with speakers underscoring its role in driving efficiency and automation across sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics. During the conference, Khurana also highlighted network slicing’s potential to allocate bandwidth for diverse use cases, from consumer broadband to dedicated enterprise services. He noted the importance of edge computing in processing data locally, reducing the need to send large volumes to centralised servers, which allows industries to operate more autonomously and efficiently.

Dharmender Khajuria, Head of Network Partnerships at Bharti Airtel, elaborated on 5G’s enhanced speed, low latency, and capacity, which enable near-instant responses crucial for applications like remote surgery, real-time diagnostics and autonomous vehicle communication. Khajuria also highlighted 5G’s impact on rural healthcare, where connected devices can transmit data from remote areas to specialists in urban centres, potentially revolutionising medical care accessibility. In agriculture, Khajuria discussed how IoT sensors can support sustainable farming by providing real-time insights into soil conditions, irrigation needs, and crop health.

Rakhee A Chachra, Global Research Leader (TME), Institute of Business Value, IBM addressed the evolving role of AI and connectivity infrastructure by 2030. Referencing a report in collaboration with GSMA, Chachra suggested that industries must prepare for dramatic technological advancements over the next six years. She identified electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft as one of the futuristic technologies that 5G infrastructure must support. This technology requires the ultra-low latency that 5G networks provide, reflecting how these networks will shape industries ranging from healthcare to aviation.

The key speakers included Himanshu Gupta, Country Manager – Telecom, Media and Entertainment, HPE India; Anjali Hans, EVP – Regulatory, CSR and External Communications Head, Vodafone Idea; Anand Bhandari, Vertical Head – Internet of Things, Reliance Jio; Vikas Shokeen, Business Head – North and Rest of India, Bharti Airtel; and Golok Kumar Simli, Principal Advisor and CTO, Global Passport Seva Programme, Ministry of External Affairs, India.

The other key speakers include Puneet Chopra, Telecom CTO, HPE India; Amit Khanduja, Enterprise Architect, TCS; Jaideep Ghosh, Member, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council; Amit Sinha Roy, VP Global Head – Strategic Alliances, Tata Communications; Shankar Srinivasan, Lead – IoT and Enterprise 5G solutions, APJC region, CISCO; Sunil David, Digital Technology Consultant and former Regional Director – IoT (India and ASEAN region), AT&T; and Dr Sidharth Shukla, Head –Emerging Tech and Industry Engagement, Bharti Airtel.

It also includes Sudakshina Laha, Head of Services – MSIT and ADM, Cloud Software and Services, Ericsson; Kiran Desai, EVP and Head of Cloud Business, Jio Platforms; Amit Kapil, Group CTO, Caparo Engineering India; Rehan Nedaria, CTO, Service Provider, India, Cisco; Jaspreet Singh, Partner and Leader – Clients and Markets (Advisory Services) and GCC Leader, Grant Thornton Bharat; and Vinish Bawa, Partner and Telecom sector leader, PwC India.

REFLECTING ON INDIA’S TELECOM JOURNEY

The Voice&Data 5G+ Conference culminated in a valedictory session celebrating three transformative decades of India’s telecom sector. The session brought together industry veterans who have shaped the industry’s trajectory. It commemorated the impact of the New Telecom Policy of 1994 and reflected on India’s telecom evolution from limited connectivity to becoming a global leader in digital infrastructure.

Prominent leaders and pioneers in the telecom sector, including Pradip Baijal, former TRAI Chairman and key policy influencer, and Akhil Gupta, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, shared insights on the sector’s growth from its nascent days to its current prominence. Sandip Das, former MD of Reliance Jio, highlighted how innovation in network technology and services paved the way for India’s 5G success, underscoring Jio’s role in transforming consumer expectations.

P Balaji, now Group Head of Governance, Risk Compliance, and Corporate Affairs at Air India, brought perspectives from his extensive telecom experience, while Prof NK Goyal, President of the CMAI Association of India and Chairman Emeritus of TEMA, emphasised the role of industry associations in advocating for policies that support technological advancement and industry growth. Umang Das, Chief Mentor at ATC India, reflected on the critical role of infrastructure expansion, highlighting tower connectivity as a key enabler in India’s telecom landscape.

Lt Gen Anil Kumar Bhatt (retd), Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA), shared his thoughts on satellite communication’s expanding role in supporting rural and remote connectivity. Vipin Tyagi, former CEO of C-DOT, discussed C-DOT’s innovations in indigenous telecom solutions that have helped India bridge its digital divide and support next-generation networks.

Rajesh Chharia of the Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI) provided insights into the challenges and regulatory shifts that have influenced data service growth, while BS Shantharaju and Prasanto K Roy, Senior Advisor at FTI Consulting and former Editor-in-Chief of CyberMedia, underscored the importance of media and advisory roles in steering public perception and industry transparency over the years.

Ibrahim Ahmad, Group Editor at CyberMedia, and industry veteran Prof NK Goyal highlighted the importance of collaboration across sectors—government, enterprise, and research—to foster a competitive and innovative telecom environment that supports India’s digital ambitions.

The valedictory session acknowledged the substantial strides made by the telecom sector in transforming India into a digitally connected nation. Together, these industry stalwarts reiterated their commitment to continuing India’s telecom journey, with aspirations for innovations beyond 5G, sustainable infrastructure, and increased digital inclusivity. This concluding discussion not only celebrated the past 30 years of achievements but also set the stage for the future of India’s telecom landscape, with a renewed focus on next-generation connectivity and a fully digitalised economy.

The conference saw strong industry presence and support, with Cisco as the presenting partner, PC Solutions and Hewlett Packard Enterprises as platinum AI partners, Bharti Airtel as a Telecom partner, and Hughes Communications as a Satcom partner among the key sponsors. It was also supported by industry associations such as COAI, DIPA, ICEA, Indian Space Association, CMAI, Satcom Industry Association, Telecom Sector Skill Council, and TEMA. Apeejay Education was the academic partner, while CyberMedia Research was the research partner.

Over 200 professionals from telecommunications, enterprises, academia, and government attended, highlighting the collaborative spirit necessary for India’s telecom progress.

By Voice&Data Bureau

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