India’s telecommunications policy is entering a decisive phase marked by two parallel tracks: a security-first overhaul of how digital platforms operate on Indian networks, and an outward-facing push to shape the global rules of next-generation connectivity.
At the News18 Rising Bharat Summit at Bharat Mandapam on Friday (February 27, 2026), Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India has moved beyond simply adopting global telecom standards and is now participating in setting them — particularly as work on 6G accelerates.
What SIM binding changes for OTT platforms
India has mandated tighter identity and device controls for over-the-top communication and messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal.
At the Summit, Scindia framed telecom as foundational infrastructure that now requires a security firewall.
“Telecom and mobile technology, to me is no longer a luxury. It is the invisible digital highway on which not only communications run, but it in many ways is a carriageway on the basis of which communications, livelihoods and economies function across the world,” he said.
Hon’ble Minister @JM_Scindia ji addressing at @News18India Rising Bharat Summit today.
📍 Bharat Mandapam https://t.co/42tpFY5ANF
— Office Of JM Scindia (@Officejmscindia) February 27, 2026
Following directions from the Department of Telecommunications, these platforms must ensure that a user account remains tied to an active SIM physically present in the device.
Web and desktop sessions are required to auto-logout every six hours, with re-authentication via QR codes from the primary handset.
The March 1, 2026 compliance deadline has been fixed, with the ministry stressing that
security risks linked to cross-border fraud and identity misuse outweigh convenience concerns.
SIM binding links a messaging account to the specific SIM card used to register it. If the SIM is removed, swapped, or deactivated, the account cannot continue to function independently.
The policy targets fraud patterns in which criminals activate Indian numbers on apps without possessing the physical SIM, and it curbs remote misuse of logged-in web sessions.
Explaining this, Scindia said, “SIM binding has become the need of the day because otherwise what happens is that when you first connect your phone to a lot of these OTT platforms along with the mobile number, and then if you remove yourself, those OTT platforms are still very active… I cannot raise the identity of the element. And therefore to be able to do that SIM binding today becomes mandatory from a security guardian.”
He added that compliance is expected from all service providers, citing the ministry’s fiduciary responsibility to India’s massive user base.
From rapid 5G scale-up to shaping 6G standards
India’s 5G deployment has progressed at pace, with coverage extended across virtually all districts and adoption rising rapidly among mobile users.
Operators such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are shifting from coverage expansion to 5G standalone (SA) monetisation and AI-enabled services as networks mature.
Scindia contrasted India’s historical pattern of following global mobile technology waves with the 5G experience, stating that “India in many ways has followed the world on mobile technology, whether it be GSM or then 2G, more than 3G and even 4G. 5G was the first time when technology across the world is propagated, and India actually had the fastest rollout of 5G in the world.”
India was able to roll out 5G across the breadth of the country in just 22 months.
“Today, we have almost ubiquitous connectivity on 5G, close to 99.9 percent of districts are connected to them. You’ll be surprised to know that today out of the 120 crore customers on mobile in India, a large share has already transferred to 5G networks.”
Looking ahead to 6G, Scindia said
India aims to lead rather than follow. International technical norms for mobile generations are shaped through multilateral processes at bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union.
Countries that participate in standard-setting influence spectrum use cases, interoperability, security frameworks and performance targets for networks worldwide.
“When telecom technology is prominent or standards are set, that is set by a body called the ITU… and when those standards are set, international countries or world leaders sit at that roundtable.”
Scindia said India’s 6G push follows a 2023 vision that mobilised the Bharat 6G Alliance across the value chain. “It’s for the first time as we have adopted 6G that the Prime Minister set the vision in 2023. And he set the goal that the Bharat 6G Alliance… the whole value chain… is R&Ding 6G today.”
He added that India has partnered with similar platforms in more than 30 countries and that a proposal on universal connectivity has been admitted into global standard-setting.
“For the first time, our proposal of ubiquitous connectivity to every single citizen across the globe as a paper has been admitted and accepted as part of the 6G standard-setting protocol… India today is no longer following. India today is no longer walking. We’re on that table setting the standards along with other stakeholders for the world.”
While standards are still evolving, 6G is expected to build on 5G with AI-native network management, ultra-low latency, integrated sensing and communication, and new spectrum use cases.
On satellite communication & spectrum
Beyond terrestrial mobile networks, satellite communication is being positioned as essential to universal service and resilience in emergencies.
Licences
have been issued to OneWeb, Starlink and Reliance’s satellite arm, with commercial operations to scale after security demonstrations (including border signal shut-off capabilities) and administrative spectrum pricing are finalised.
Scindia described satellites as indispensable for last-mile reach and continuity of service during disasters. “As Communications Minister, it is my job to ensure that every single citizen in my country has the full bouquet of services in front of him or her to choose from… that also means satellite because satellite can go where no other technology can go.”
“In the case of natural calamities, when all of the systems go down, satellite is the only system that stays up.”
Spectrum is the range of radio frequencies used to carry wireless signals. Different bands trade off coverage, capacity and speed.
Policy decisions on which bands are reserved for mobile, satellite and backhaul — and how they are priced — directly affect network quality, competition and the pace of 5G-to-6G transition.
Recommendations on future auctions have been received, and the government plans to assess market demand before proceeding.
“Just a few days ago, based on those recommendations, we will proceed to look at what the appetite for demand is, and shortly thereafter we should take a view,” Scindia revealed at the summit.
How India is leading the way in data affordability & AI
India’s telecom market is characterised by massive scale and low consumer prices, underpinned by high volumes of subscribers and data usage.
Scindia said tariffs are set by operators, not the government, and highlighted how scale has driven affordability and rapid diffusion of connectivity:
“This is a country where high volume is the key to growth… India has shown the world how you can permeate technology right down to the grassroots level.”
“When you have 1.2 crore telecom subscribers… when internet subscribers go from 250 million 12 years ago to a billion today… when broadband subscribers go from 60 million to a billion today, that kind of exponential growth, you’re looking at a CAGR of over 30-40 per cent per year.”
“Data 12 years ago used to cost ₹287 per GB… Today, one GB of data costs in India less than ₹8 per GB… The world average is $2.49. So India is operating at five percent of world costs with a billion-plus subscribers.”
On adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues and the government’s equity in certain telecom firms (like Vodafone), Scindia said court directions have been implemented and clarified the distinction between ownership and management.
“With the conversion of the AGR dues, which appeals to ₹38,000 crores, we have also followed the Supreme Court verdict and executed it on that.”
“We are an equity holder. Now when you are an equity holder, that does not mean that you are in management.”
Scindia also argued that technological shifts, including AI, historically reshape labour markets while creating new opportunities.
“What’s going to happen with AI… is what from an economic perspective has been the concept of creative destruction… I think it is going to create more opportunities than extinguish them,” he opined.
Scindia said
India’s AI policy direction is to move from a services-heavy model to a product-led ecosystem across chips, semiconductors, large language models and telecom equipment.
Looking to the long term, Scindia set out an expansive vision for India’s global role.
“Today, I have great confidence that by 2047, we will be leading the world on the stage in terms of contribution to GDP and economic heft. And not only that, I believe that we will be a philosophical child in terms of creating Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and that prosperity for all notion for countries across the world.”
The News18 Rising Bharat Summit, one of India’s flagship events on current affairs is being held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from February 27, 2026 to February 28, 2026.
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