India is crucial for Nokia’s foray in 6G technology development and services, says top official

Despite not being part of the Bharat 6G Alliance, which aims to foster innovation and collaboration in the 6G space, Nokia remains open to engagement with all relevant stakeholders in India.

India is crucial for Nokia for its foray into 6G or Sixth Generation Wireless in terms of both technology development and service delivery, a top company official told Moneycontrol in an interview.

Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia, expressed his optimism about India's contribution to the 6G landscape and India's assertiveness and intent in the 6G domain. Batra highlighted Nokia's commitment to engaging in research and development (R&D) activities related to 6G within the country. He stressed that India's proactive stance necessitates active participation from industry players such as Nokia. In line with this, the firm has established a dedicated 6G Lab at its Global R&D centre in Bengaluru and has initiated partnerships to further enhance this futuristic technology.

He mentioned collaborations with institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for joint research on 6G technologies and use cases as evidence of Nokia's efforts to expand its partnerships in India.

Despite not being part of the Bharat 6G Alliance, which aims to foster innovation and collaboration in the 6G space, Nokia remains open to engagement with all relevant stakeholders in India. Batra expressed a preference for deeper involvement in such initiatives but affirmed Nokia's commitment to bilateral discussions with key players.

Apart from its focus on 6G, Nokia is also exploring investment opportunities in Indian startups, particularly those operating in digital industries, cybersecurity, and network decentralisation. Notable investments include Shadowfax, a leading logistics service provider in India, which recently secured significant funding.

Batra emphasised the potential for India to play a more prominent role in the global startup ecosystem, particularly leveraging the digital infrastructure enabled by technologies like 5G.

Batra said that Nokia's strategic interest in India extends beyond 6G development to include investments in startups and collaborations aimed at fostering technological innovation and digital transformation within the country.