Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd’s (BSNL) indigenously developed 4G network will be upgraded to 5G across India within six to eight months, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Sunday.Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Enclave 2025, Scindia said India has entered the exclusive club of 4G technology, previously dominated by five global companies — Huawei, ZTE, Samsung, Nokia and Ericsson — based in Sweden, Finland, South Korea, and China, PTI reported.He highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated 92,564 towers connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Bharuch to Arunachal Pradesh using India’s domestic 4G standard.“Today, India has entered the club with its own 4G standard. This is India’s innovation capability and innovation enterprise. But we are not going to rest. Within the next six to eight months, we will be switching these 4G towers to 5G networks and providing end-to-end 5G network capability across the length and breadth of India,” Scindia said.Addressing broader economic challenges, the minister noted that global geopolitical turbulence, trade protectionism, and climate shocks are increasing economic vulnerability and inflationary pressures worldwide.“Where does prosperity lie? Turbulence is not a disruptor. Turbulence is also a catalyst. In this context, India has acted as a catalyst, growing at close to 7.8 per cent GDP in the first quarter of FY25-26,” he said, calling India a fulcrum for the Global South.“I submit that India is not just another destination, India is the direction. India is not only the voice. India is the mission. For those seeking prosperity in turbulent times, I urge all to look, move and invest in India,” he added.On the sidelines of the event, Scindia said India’s innovation ecosystem is thriving, with major global technology companies alongside domestic startups driving advances in AI, semiconductors, and communications.“We also have the second largest mobile phone manufacturing in the world. India is pioneering the communication-AI-semicon value chain globally. This will be showcased at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025,” he said.The IMC 2025 will host delegations from 150 countries, around 7,000 delegates, 1,500 exhibitors, and over 1,000 use cases of 4G and 5G technologies, highlighting innovations in AI, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies, Scindia added.
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