Indian Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal visited the United Kingdom to engage with its Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and explore opportunities for collaboration in next-generation telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and space technology.

The collaboration will further strengthen Indo-UK ties in these critical areas.

The Secretary (Telecom) met with Chris Johnson, National Scientific Adviser, and Dave Smith, National Technology Adviser of DSIT.

The discussions centred on emerging technologies and their applications in 5G, 6G, digital infrastructure security.

The Secretary also met with Geoff Huggins, Director, Digital Directorate, Govt of Scotland, to discuss collaborative efforts in digital transformation through telecom, telecom security, and emerging telecom technologies.

Secretary (Telecom) held a field visit at one of the six Federated Telecom Hubs (FTH) in the UK, specializing in Cloud and Distributed Computing (CHEDDAR). This hub leads cutting-edge research in 6G distributed cloud, AI for 6G, green 6G, and advanced sensing technologies.

Furthermore, the Secretary met with Jean Innes, CEO of the Alan Turing Institute, for discussions on potential collaboration in digital twins, AI for telecom security, ethical AI, and fostering an AI innovation and startup ecosystem.

Additionally, the Secretary visited Scotland’s 5G Centre at the University of Strathclyde and the 6G Research Centre at the University of Glasgow's James Watt School of Engineering.

These visits facilitated discussions on collaboration in 6G innovation, future sensing technologies, the exchange of technology such as the 5G stack, and student exchange programs to foster academic and industrial partnerships.

UK-India Telecom Roundtable

Building on the strong foundation of the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI), where telecom remains a key priority, a roundtable discussion was convened with key UK stakeholders from DSIT, leading business entities such as BT and Ericsson, and innovation hubs and centres, including SONIC Labs, UK Telecom Labs, TITAN, JOINER.

Representatives from the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency, Innovate UK, and the UK Technology Innovation Network (UKTIN) also participated, exploring avenues for mutual cooperation. The roundtable was organized by the High Commission of India (HCI) in partnership with UKTIN.

Neeraj Mittal highlighted India's leadership in the telecom sector and its rapid advancements in next-generation network technologies.