India, one of the biggest telecom markets in the world, is trying to become self-reliable with future technologies and communication networks. The Government of India (GoI) is already pushing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision for years now, and its results have been reflected in the telecom sector of the country. Companies like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) are pushing for homegrown networks in both the 4G and 5G segments. GoI has already instructed not to include the Chinese companies, including Huawei and ZTE, for future expansion of the 4G networks or rollout of fresh 5G networks. The government believes that it is a national threat to let Chinese companies be a part of India’s telecom infrastructure.
Government Pushing India to Become Self-Reliable
The GoI has done a fantastic job in pushing the vision of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat so far. BSNL is setting the example by preparing to roll out a homegrown 4G network. It might be more expensive and might take more time, but the government wants to ensure that India doesn’t need to depend on anyone in the future. Reliance Jio is also planning to roll out homegrown 5G networks in the future. Jio has already developed its 5G RAN and Standalone Architecture (SA) Core. Bharti Airtel had also announced a strategic partnership with the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) a few months back for implementing 5G network solutions in India. Even the gear vendor ecosystem in India is developing. Companies like TCS and Tejas Networks are making huge strides in developing homegrown technologies and solutions. Airtel had said that it would pilot and deploy 5G solutions developed by TCS from January 2022, which is not so far anymore. The good thing about all of this is that even if India’s allies drop in numbers in the future, it won’t need other countries to manufacture and develop these essential network technologies. India is on the road to becoming self-dependent, all thanks to the initiatives from the government and the companies across several sectors of the economy.
