India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre (CIC) 

India-UK CIC Launch

The India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre (CIC) was established by the United Kingdom and India during the 2025 India Mobile Congress. The goal of this project is to promote closer collaboration in the areas of cybersecurity, innovation, and advanced digital connection. In keeping with the strong bilateral commitment to safe and inclusive communications, the Centre will serve as a focal point for collaborative research, testing, and deployment of next-generation telecom technologies.

About India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre (CIC)

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) collaborate to implement the CIC, a strategic cooperation under the UK-India Technology Security Initiative. It seeks to advance cutting-edge connectivity innovation, bolster network resilience, and advance digital inclusivity. The CIC will link academic research, lab testing, field trials, and commercial deployment paths to provide measurable benefits by fusing India’s scale with the UK’s research ecosystem.

Key Focus Areas (2025–2029)

The roadmap for 6G and beyond will be significantly shaped by the CIC during the course of the next four years. Three strategic areas that are essential to the global digital transformation will be the main focus.

1. Using artificial intelligence techniques to optimise networks, boost productivity, and develop new digital services that satisfy future demands is known as “transforming telecom with AI.“
2. The development of satellite and aerial systems to provide dependable and quick connectivity to underserved rural and distant areas is known as non-terrestrial networks, or NTNs.
3. Increasing network resilience through the development of open, interoperable, and secure communication solutions that protect consumers and businesses is known as telecom cybersecurity.

Funding and Investments

Together, India and the UK have committed £24 million (about ₹250 crore) over four years to realise this ambitious objective. The creation of cooperative testbeds, applied research partnerships, and active involvement in international standards-setting organisations will all be facilitated by this financing. In order to help real-world users, the CIC aims to make sure that innovations are not only tested in labs but also implemented widely.

Strategic Significance

India and the UK are positioned by the CIC as significant contributors to the developing 6G technology landscape. By lowering reliance on foreign technologies, it offers India a chance to further its objectives of Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. It demonstrates the UK’s leadership in safe telecom infrastructure and fortifies international ties. The program enhances both countries’ capacity to shape international norms and support advanced connectivity startup ecosystems.

Significance for India

The CIC has enormous potential to close the digital gap in India, particularly in rural areas where connectivity is still a problem. In addition to giving domestic entrepreneurs and telecom companies access to state-of-the-art research, it will enable Indian universities like IITs and research institutes to collaborate internationally. Additionally, it supports India’s drive for indigenous manufacturing and telecom innovation, resulting in both strategic and financial benefits.

Future Roadmap

In the future, the CIC will serve as a forum for sustained collaboration that goes beyond research into fields including industry-academia partnerships, cooperative regulatory frameworks, and policy discussion. The India-UK alliance will assist ensure that both countries stay ahead of the curve in innovation while also prioritising security, sovereignty, and inclusion in digital networks as global competition heats up in the areas of artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and 6G.

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About the Author: Jyoti Verma