- Scindia inaugurated the 5G Use Case Labs workshop at India Mobile Congress 2026
- The 100 labs, set up with Rs 97.67 crore, all became operational by April 2025
- Over 17,400 students had used the labs by August 2026
- Hackathon winners were honoured; 35 teams showcase ideas at IMC 2026
- Officers completed a network and mobile security programme with international certifications
Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated a workshop on 5G Use Case Labs at the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress 2026. He said the labs aim to nurture young innovators who can build solutions for India and the world.
The one-day workshop, held under the theme “Building Intelligent Networks: Innovations Driving the 5G Advanced and 6G Era”, seeks to build industry-academia ties. It also aims to turn academic research into practical, technology-driven solutions.
Scindia said the labs were set up to do more than provide infrastructure. He said they would help students and researchers test real-world applications across sectors.
Hackathon winners and officers honoured
Scindia gave awards to the winners of the 5G Innovation Hackathon (Edition-2) 2026. He also congratulated 50 finalists and encouraged all 1,400 participating teams to keep working on new ideas.
He also presented certificates and badges to officers of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The officers completed a specialised Capacity Development Programme on Network and Mobile Security. The course included international certifications such as CISSP, CEH, PenTest and CySA.
Labs show early results
The labs were awarded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2023 to academic institutions across the country. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 97.67 crore.
The labs have so far delivered the following results:
| Indicator | Figure (as of August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Students who used the labs | More than 17,400 |
| Institutions running 5G courses | 97 |
| Students enrolled in 5G courses | Over 21,000 |
| Products and use cases developed | 634 |
| Intellectual property filings | 158 |
| Patents granted | 32 |
The initiative also helps startups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access 5G infrastructure. Participating institutions have built partnerships with these firms and other research bodies.
The 5G Innovation Hackathon drew more than 1,400 proposals. These covered areas such as 5G Advanced, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, non-terrestrial networks, Fixed Wireless Access, network slicing and telecommunications security. Of these, 50 teams received seed funding. As many as 35 teams are showing their work at IMC 2026.
Focus on 6G and Viksit Bharat 2047
Scindia linked the labs to the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. He called for intelligent networks designed and built in India that are trusted globally.
Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, said innovation must go beyond competitions and prototypes. He said it should lead to intellectual property, entrepreneurship, industry partnerships and commercial deployment.
The workshop covered AI-native networks, intelligent connectivity, scalable 5G use cases, the 6G spectrum roadmap and global standardisation.
