Ericsson, a leading organisation in telecommunications, has launched India’s first “Centre of Excellence (CoE) and Innovation Lab” for 5G at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi with an objective to stimulate the 5G ecosystem in India.
“India cannot afford to miss the 5G bus. It is of strategic importance to us,” Union Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said during the inaugural of the centre.
“We need the entire eco-system to work together to make 5G a reality in India over the next 2-3 years,” the minister added.
The 5G innovation will act as an open platform and support the industry along with academia to leverage the 5G technology to develop new 5G-based apps and business models.
“The 5G ‘Center of Excellence’ supports the government’s plans to foster a robust and vibrant 5G ecosystem in the country. We want India to be an active participant in the design, development and manufacturing of 5G-based technologies, products and apps,” Sinha said.
The Minister also revealed that the Government is in the process of identifying potential use cases for 5G. He also said that the sectors like health, education and disaster management, among others, have emerged as frontrunners for 5G adoption.
“I would like to urge the industry, academia, students and start-ups to leverage the Ericsson Innovation Lab to develop new 5G-based apps and business models that could potentially lead to better agricultural yields, better healthcare, smarter cities, more efficient manufacturing and enhanced lifestyles,” Sinha further said.
Addressing the gathering, President and CEO of Ericsson Borje Ekholm said, “We would like to unleash the creativity and innovation of the Indian industry, academia and entrepreneurs to fully leverage and make 5G a reality in India.”
As per an Ericsson report, 5G-enabled digitisation revenue potential in India will hit $27.3 billion by 2026. The Indian operators can generate additional revenue of $13 billion if they take up roles beyond being connectivity and infrastructure providers to become service enablers and service creators, the company said.
