C-DoT’s indigenous 5G stack strengthens strategic telecom capabilities: Minister Pemmasani

The minister urged C-DOT to lead in emerging areas such as quantum-safe communications and 6G innovation

India’s indigenous 4G and 5G stack, built by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), is now powering nearly one lakh BSNL towers, placing the country among a handful of nations with homegrown telecom technology. At the same time, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) underlined C-DOT’s strategic role beyond connectivity, citing its secure communication systems that supported the armed forces during Operation Sindoor and its cell-broadcast platform for disaster preparedness.

Speaking at the 42nd Foundation Day of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) on Monday, minister of state for telecom Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani hailed the institution as the fifth player globally—after Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung and Huawei—to have developed an indigenous 5G stack.

“India’s homegrown 4G and 5G solutions, deployed across nearly one lakh BSNL towers, are performing exceptionally well, with most initial integration issues resolved,” Pemmasani said. He stressed that building world-class product companies is far harder than building service firms, but C-DOT is proving India’s capabilities.

DoT Secretary Neeraj Mittal also underscored the strategic importance of this achievement, noting that only a handful of countries globally possess such end-to-end telecom stack capabilities. “Thanks to C-DOT, India is now among that select group,” he said.

Mittal emphasised that C-DOT’s role extends beyond connectivity to national security and disaster resilience. He cited the successful use of its cell broadcast technology in emergency preparedness drills and highlighted its contribution during Operation Sindoor, where secure and resilient communication systems were critical to supporting the armed forces.

Looking ahead, Pemmasani urged C-DOT to lead in emerging areas such as quantum-safe communications and 6G innovation, technologies he said would be vital for defence, finance, and healthcare. “What was once thought to be a 2030–2035 goal is advancing far faster, and India must be at the forefront,” he said.