India's Bharat 6G Alliance to partner with Europe's 6G-IA – report

India's Bharat 6G Alliance is likely to partner with Europe's 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA) to jointly develop 6G technology, according to media reports, with an agreement expected to be signed in the coming quarter. 

News comes after the Bharat 6G Alliance signed a memorandum of understanding with America's Next G Alliance to work on the development of 6G wireless technologies and to build joint supply chains. These agreements reflect India's ambition of growing its profile as an innovator and a leader in the telecom industry.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) launched the Bharat 6G Alliance in August 2023 to boost research and development in 6G. It was formed with the vision to "design, develop and deploy 6G network technologies that provide ubiquitous, intelligent and secure connectivity for a high-quality living experience for the world."

The 6G-IA, meanwhile, is contributing to European activities in 5G, 5G evolution and 6G research. It was set up to work with operators, academics, manufacturers, small and medium-size businesses and associations for the development of 6G.

Europe, however, is seen as a laggard in the adoption of new technologies and in building a digital infrastructure. In a recent interview with the UK Financial Times, Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm said over-regulation was "driving Europe to irrelevance."

Earlier this year, the European Parliament published a whitepaper called "The Path to 6G" in which it discusses India's effort to build a 6G ecosystem. It established a Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) in 2021.

India is looking to form partnerships with other associations and organizations to play a more active role in setting 6G standards. In November 2021, moreover, the DoT formed a 22-member taskforce to develop the country's 6G ecosystem.