New Delhi: India is taking a leadership role in shaping the future of telecom by hosting the third meeting of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN) in New Delhi. The three-day event, being held from June 11 to 13, is organized by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The gathering aims to drive global conversations around integrating AI natively into telecom network design, paving the way for more intelligent, adaptive, and resilient communication systems.
At the inaugural session, Mr. Sanjeev Bidwai, Member (T), Digital Communications Commission (DCC), underscored the strategic shift AI-native networks represent. Highlighting India’s advancements, he spoke about the government-funded ‘Bharat Gen’, India’s first indigenous multimodal large language model (LLM) for Indian languages, as well as projects led by IITs and C-DOT in network automation and digital twins.
He emphasized the ethical dimensions of deploying AI, calling for approaches that are secure, inclusive, and explainable, while also advocating for digital sovereignty and updated regulatory frameworks.
In a special video message, Mr. Seizo Onoe, Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau at ITU, stated that AI-native networks have the potential to revolutionize telecom through self-management, real-time optimization, and intelligent automation.
Ms. Atsuo Okuda, ITU Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, emphasized the importance of Asia as a digital innovation hub and called for stronger collaborative frameworks. She noted that AI-native telecom systems are critical to addressing needs in smart cities, digital healthcare, education, and inclusive infrastructure.
India Proposes to Host ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2030
India also used the platform to propose hosting the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2030 (PP-30) and to seek continued membership in the ITU Council (2027–2031). A notable announcement was India’s nomination of Ms. M. Revathi as a candidate for Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (2027–30). If elected, she would be the first woman and first regional candidate to hold the position—marking a historic milestone.
The event witnessed participation from a host of senior officials, including Mr. Niraj Verma, Mr. Rudra Narayan Palai, Mr. Deb Kumar Chakrabarty, Mr. Shubhendu Tiwari, Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, and Ms. Tripti Saxena, along with academicians, industry experts, and global stakeholders.
Spotlight on AI-Native Networks
The Focus Group on AI-Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN), established in July 2024 under ITU-T Study Group 13, is tasked with redefining how future telecom networks are conceptualized and built. By embedding AI directly into network architecture, FG-AINN envisions resilient, self-optimizing networks that deliver enhanced performance, reliability, and adaptability across both urban and rural settings.
The discussions at the New Delhi meeting cover a wide array of advanced topics, including:
AI/ML models for 6G wireless systems
Federated learning for telecom applications
Autonomous AI agents
Facial recognition-based SIM verification
Digital twins and network intelligence
Build-a-Thon 2025: Co-Creating the Future
A major highlight of the event is the launch of the FG-AINN Build-a-Thon 2025, scheduled for June 13. This collaborative, crowdsourced innovation sprint invites startups, researchers, developers, and industry leaders to co-create AI-native telecom solutions. Participants will receive mentorship from experts and engage in hands-on development sessions to build real-world applications.
The Build-a-Thon reflects India’s strong push toward creating not just standards but also deployable technologies that can power next-gen use cases in public safety, transport, rural communication, and disaster management.
India’s Global Tech Vision
By hosting the FG-AINN meeting and launching future-focused initiatives like Build-a-Thon 2025, India is positioning itself as a global leader in AI-native digital infrastructure. With its strong pool of technical talent, strategic public-private partnerships, and commitment to ethical AI, India is laying the foundation for telecom networks that are intelligent, secure, and ready for the demands of tomorrow.
As AI continues to reshape industries worldwide, the conversations and collaborations taking place at the FG-AINN meeting in New Delhi are expected to play a critical role in shaping global telecom standards for the next decade.
