India is entering a pivotal phase in its digital journey. For the first time, the country is preparing to run its mobile networks on technology built entirely in India. This is not just an infrastructure upgrade. It is about national security, economic resilience, and digital sovereignty.
When a nation of 1.4 billion people relies on other countries for its digital backbone, it risks leaving critical sectors vulnerable to external forces. Which is why India has been focused on building a fully sovereign Bharat Stack that is the backbone of India’s digital economy. The Bharat Stack already comprises robust solutions for spans identity (Aadhaar), payments (UPI), data (DigiLocker) among others.
The Global Telecom Oligopoly
Telecommunications, which is a crucial piece of our digital economy, remains vulnerable. For decades, the world’s mobile networks have been built on systems controlled by a handful of companies concentrated in just four countries. This oligopoly has concentrated power in a small group, limiting competition and creating high entry barriers.
India, despite being the world’s second-largest telecom market, has long depended on these foreign players for its network infrastructure. Dependence on foreign technology goes beyond costs. It brings exposure to trade disputes, surveillance concerns, and supply chain disruptions.
The backbone of digital India, which supports defence communication, financial transactions, healthcare and e-governance, becomes weaker when it relies on others.
The Risks of Dependence
Dependence on foreign telecom technology is not just an economic issue. It is a potential risk to national security. Telecom underpins banking, defence, healthcare, commerce, and governance. Disruptions in supply chains, sanctions, or trade disputes can ripple across India, leaving millions disconnected. A NITI Aayog report on digital infrastructure notes that insulating networks from such vulnerabilities is as crucial as securing food or energy supplies.
India’s Decisive Action
Recognising these risks, the Government of India has taken a historic step by mandating the creation of a fully indigenous 4G/5G stack under the broader vision of #ViksitBharat, India’s roadmap to becoming a developed nation by 2047. This aligns with the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission and is backed by policies such as the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom.
On the ground, progress is already visible. In 2022, BSNL successfully tested an indigenous 4G stack developed in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), and Tejas Networks. And today, BSNL had deployed over 97,500 towers using this homegrown stack, marking one of the largest rollouts of indigenous telecom infrastructure in the world.
TCS governed the pan-India initiative which involved establishing data centers, installing and commissioning C-DoT’s software application, Tejas’s Base Stations and Radio infrastructure along with leveraging TCS’ Cognitive Network Operations (TCS CNOPS TM) platform for intelligent network management.
TCS CNOPS™ has a unique capability to manage and operate a multi-technology and multivendor network built with equipment coming in from diverse vendors across generation of technologies. The platform also uses AI and Machine learning algorithms on the network data to create a better service experience from the network.
The telecom minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, in May 2025 confirmed that BSNL’s 5G rollout will rely solely on Indian technology. The ecosystem is being supported through government policy as well. Under the Telecom Technology Development Fund, 132 projects have been approved, spanning 4G, 5G, and even early work on 6G, with more than ₹550 crore sanctioned. Together, these initiatives signal not just technological progress but a larger push toward digital sovereignty.
Why Full-Stack, Homegrown Matters
Owning every layer of telecom infrastructure brings several advantages. It gives India resilience and control, ensuring that systems can be patched, secured, and scaled independently. It provides strategic sovereignty, keeping essential sectors such as defence, banking, and governance free from foreign dependence.
It also creates export potential. Once proven, India’s stack could be adopted by developing markets, and there is already interest from operators in parts of Africa and Asia. Finally, a homegrown stack lowers the cost of rural rollouts, making it possible to connect farmers with real-time market and weather data, students with online classrooms, and small businesses with seamless digital payments.
The indigenous telecom stack is the latest addition to the Bharat Stack. Achieving India’s vision to become a digitally sovereign nation is being supported and enabled by private enterprises that are building for India, in India to accelerate India.
The Challenges Ahead
The path forward is not without hurdles. Developing chips and radio frequency modules domestically is expensive and capital-intensive. India’s stack must also align with global standards to ensure interoperability. Security audits will be critical to guarantee transparency and to rule out hidden vulnerabilities.
Scaling the system to serve more than a billion mobile users will test reliability at an unprecedented level. Most importantly, this effort cannot be a one-time push. It requires sustained research and development over decades to stay competitive with global leaders.
India @2047: Telecom as a Sovereignty Pillar
Telecom independence is not just about faster speeds or cheaper calls. It is about whether India’s digital backbone remains vulnerable or becomes sovereign. As the country looks ahead to 2047, the vision of being a developed nation will rest not only on food and energy security but also on digital sovereignty.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
India’s push for an indigenous telecom stack is more than a story of engineering. It is a story of securing our digital sovereignty. By weaving #ViksitBharat and #InclusiveTelecom into its design, the country is making a statement: its digital backbone will no longer be shaped by global oligopolies.
The challenge now lies in scaling the technology, keeping it affordable, and matching global standards. If India succeeds, its telecom journey will not be remembered as one of dependence, but as a defining stride toward self-reliance and inclusive growth.
