India endorses global Call to Action for 6G leadership and security

MUMBAI: The race for the next network has officially entered another gear, with India signing up to a global push to make 6G not just faster, but safer, more open and more competitive.

India has endorsed the Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security, joining 19 other governments committed to shaping the next generation of wireless communications around openness, interoperability, security, resilience, resource efficiency and innovation-led competition.

The endorsement was announced on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial in North Carolina, US, held on September 1-2, 2026, under the US G20 Presidency. The announcement was marked by a handshake between Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will lead India’s engagement with the initiative, coordinating follow-up work with government agencies, industry, academia and other stakeholders.

The participating governments view secure digital infrastructure as central to technological competitiveness, economic growth and national security. The Call to Action also recognises that increasingly interconnected networks can create cyber, economic and national security risks, making security and resilience shared priorities as countries prepare for 6G.

The plan lays out a 12-month roadmap. Within one month, participating governments are expected to nominate expert 6G points of contact, designate the agency responsible for coordination and prepare an initial list of relevant industry and academic stakeholders.

Within three months, governments will engage the telecom sector to map the emerging secure and interoperable 6G landscape, identify barriers to leadership and begin assessing the economic, political and financial resources needed to strengthen competitiveness.

The six-month milestone calls for expert-level strategies to support secure, resilient, sustainable and innovative 6G supply chains over the long term, while governments will also consider how 6G leadership and security should feature in national and regional strategies.

By 12 months, participants are expected to meet in person in 2027 to review progress, exchange lessons and best practices, and set priorities for the following year with industry stakeholders.

The cooperation agenda extends beyond network security. It includes information-sharing on 6G research and development, collaboration between trade and development finance agencies to support secure 5G and 6G deployment, assessments of cybersecurity risks linked to telecom investments, greater supply-chain transparency and efforts to maximise 5G for industrial, commercial, security and defence applications.

The governments will also work with industry to influence global 6G standards, including stronger security standards, through standards development organisations.

Importantly, the Call to Action does not require countries to surrender their policy autonomy. It explicitly allows each government to maintain its own position in industry-driven standards bodies, with subsequent steps determined by national priorities, resources and capabilities. It also cautions against duplicating technical work already being undertaken through industry-led standardisation forums.

India’s move builds on its domestic 6G groundwork, including the Bharat 6G Vision, the Bharat 6G Alliance and its indigenous 4G and 5G technology stack. The government said participation will complement India’s international work on standardisation and spectrum while leaving its independent positions in those forums unaffected.

Alongside India, the Call to Action has been affirmed by Canada, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Norway, Paraguay, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Sweden, the UK and the US.

For India, the message is clear: the country wants a seat at the table before the 6G table is fully set. The initiative adds an international layer to its push to move from being a technology adopter to becoming a technology and standards setter.