New Delhi: The Union government has established 100 5G labs at academic institutions across India for capacity building and for creating a 6G-ready academic and startup ecosystem in the country, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

Under the initiatives that have been taken to facilitate the development of 6G technology in the country, the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Scheme was launched on October 1, 2022, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The scheme aims to fund research and development (R&D) and innovation in telecom technologies, including 6G, fostering collaboration between academia, start-ups, MSMEs, research institutes and industry to enhance the telecom ecosystem in India.

A total of 104 projects related to 6G technology, amounting to Rs. 275.88 crore, have been approved under the TTDF scheme till July 2025, the Minister stated. According to the minister, the government has facilitated the setting up of ‘Bharat 6G Alliance’, which is an alliance of domestic industry, academia, national research institutions and standards organisations to develop an action plan according to the Bharat 6G Vision.