Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated the One-Day Workshop on 5G Use Case Labs at the 10th India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026. During the event, he emphasized the role of young innovators, academic institutions, and industry partnerships in advancing India’s telecommunications capabilities.
The workshop, held under the theme “Building Intelligent Networks: Innovations Driving the 5G-Advanced and 6G Era,” aimed to turn academic research into practical applications and strengthen India’s readiness for next-generation communication technologies.
Scindia felicitated the winners of the 5G Innovation Hackathon (Edition-2) 2026 and 50 finalist teams and encouraged the participants to transform their ideas into real-world technology solutions. He also presented certificates and badges to Department of Telecommunications (DoT) officials who had completed specialized training in network and mobile security, including international certifications such as CISSP, CEH, PenTest, and CySA.
100 5G Labs Boost Research and Indigenous Telecom Innovation
Highlighting the importance of research institutions and universities, Scindia stated that the 100 5G use-case labs were established not merely to provide infrastructure, but to nurture innovators capable of developing solutions for India and the world. DoT Secretary Amit Agarwal also emphasised the importance of taking innovations beyond the prototype stage and turning them into intellectual property, business opportunities and commercially viable solutions.
Under this initiative, launched in October 2023 with a budget of ₹97.67 crore, all 100 labs became operational by April 2025. By August 2026, over 17,400 students had utilized these facilities, while 97 institutions offered 5G courses to more than 21,000 students. The program facilitated the development of 634 products and use cases, resulting in 158 intellectual property filings and the securing of 32 patents.
5G Innovation Hackathon Receives Over 1,400 Proposals
The 2026 edition of the 5G Innovation Hackathon received over 1,400 proposals covering topics such as 5G Advanced, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, non-terrestrial networks, fixed wireless access, network slicing, and telecommunication security.
Out of the proposals received, 50 teams were selected and provided with seed funding to develop their ideas; 35 of these teams showcased their innovations at IMC 2026.
The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration among academia, startups, research institutions, and the industry, thereby supporting India’s goal of developing indigenous technologies and intelligent networks for a technologically empowered ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.
(PIB)
