IIT Hyderabad develops 6G prototypes, targets readiness for 2030 rollout

HYDERABAD: The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad aims to ensure that India is not just a participant but a key player in shaping the 6G technology, which is expected to be rolled out by 2030, Professor Kiran Kuchi, leading telecommunications researcher at the premier institute has said.

According to Professor Kuchi, 6G is not merely “faster 5G”, but will combine ubiquitous high-speed connectivity, urban, rural, indoors, outdoors, and across the land, oceans and skies—with artificial intelligence at its core. IIT Hyderabad stands at the forefront of the 6G journey.

With support from various government institutions and departments, the institute has already demonstrated 6G prototypes in the 7 GHz band, advanced massive MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antenna arrays, and satellite-compliant systems for both LEO (Low Earth Orbit) and GEO (geostationary Orbit) orbits, he added.

“Every decade, the world ushers in a new generation of mobile technology. 5G was standardised between 2010–2020. India started deploying 5G in 2022 and is still being deployed across India. Work on 6G standardisation began in earnest in 2021, with global standards expected by 2029 and rollouts around 2030,” Kiran told PTI.

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An indigenous low-power system-on-chip designed at IITH already supports terrestrial and satellite connectivity for civilian and defense use, and efforts are underway to scale this into high-performance 6G–AI chipsets.

The professor explained that these innovations are incubated into start-ups, infused into global standards, and steered toward commercialisation—ensuring India’s technologies enter the international mainstream. 6G is expected to power instantaneous AR/VR experiences, AI-enabled devices, autonomous mobility, and intelligent IoT at massive scale.

From farms to factories, schools to hospitals, defense to disaster response, AI-infused 6G applications will touch every citizen’s life, making India more productive, inclusive, and secure, he further said.

“As global standards for 6G take shape, India’s decade of indigenous R&D is beginning to bear fruit. With a forward-looking policy push, homegrown innovations in networks, devices, AI applications, and Fabless chip design are set to position India as not just a consumer, but a global supplier and standard-setter,” Kiran elaborated.

By 2030, when the world begins deploying 6G, India will be ready with its own technologies and products, its own companies, and its own ecosystem, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, he added.