India’s Telecom Push in Assam: 5G Labs, Semiconductors, and Rural Digital Boost

The OSAT unit will position Assam as a key node in India’s growing semiconductor supply chain and contribute to the country’s strategic goal of achieving technological independence in chip manufacturing.

In a significant move to strengthen India’s position as a digital and technological powerhouse, the Government of India has undertaken multiple initiatives focused on advancing telecom research and development, boosting semiconductor manufacturing, and accelerating rural digital inclusion in the northeastern state of Assam.

Indigenous 5G Lab Established at Gauhati University

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D organization under the Ministry of Communications, has set up an end-to-end indigenous 5G experience lab at Gauhati University. This state-of-the-art facility empowers faculty members and students to gain practical exposure to core 5G technologies, understand system capabilities, and explore a wide array of 5G use cases across various sectors.

The 5G lab aims to:

• Provide hands-on learning experiences for students and researchers.

• Support the development of innovative 5G applications and solutions.

• Lay a foundation for advanced research in emerging technologies, including 6G.

• Enable collaboration between academia, startups, and industry for knowledge exchange.

This initiative plays a vital role in nurturing a skilled workforce ready for next-generation telecom technologies and complements India's broader strategy to become self-reliant in digital infrastructure.

Tata Electronics’ Rs. 27,120 Crore OSAT Facility in Morigaon

In line with the Government of India’s ambitious Semicon India Programme, which has a total outlay of ₹76,000 crore, Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) has received approval to establish an Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Morigaon, Assam.

Key highlights of this development:

• Investment of ₹27,120 crore in setting up the unit.

• Production capacity: 48 million semiconductor units per day.

• A major step toward creating a robust semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India.

• Expected to generate significant employment and promote high-tech industry growth in the region.

The OSAT unit will position Assam as a key node in India’s growing semiconductor supply chain and contribute to the country’s strategic goal of achieving technological independence in chip manufacturing.

5G Use Case Labs at Premier Institutions in Assam

Apart from Gauhati University, the Government has also established 5G use case labs at:

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati

• National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar

These labs are designed to serve as innovation and incubation hubs for:

• Startups and MSMEs to test 5G-based solutions.

• Students to work on real-world telecom challenges.

• Development of sector-specific 5G applications in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, logistics, and smart cities.

The labs will further propel Assam toward becoming a regional center for telecom innovation and digital transformation.

Bridging the Rural Digital Divide with BharatNet and Samriddh GP Projects

To bridge the urban-rural connectivity gap, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is implementing the BharatNet project in a phased manner to provide high-speed broadband connectivity to:

• All Gram Panchayats (GPs).

• Villages beyond GPs on a demand basis.

Additionally, under the Samriddh Gram Panchayat pilot project, a targeted approach is being taken to provide Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections to:

• Public institutions

• Entrepreneurs and private enterprises

• Households in one selected GP of each block across the country, including Assam.

These efforts aim to ensure last-mile connectivity and create an inclusive digital ecosystem that supports education, healthcare, financial services, and e-governance in rural areas.

DoT-Funded Research Projects at IIT Guwahati for 6G and Beyond

The Department of Telecommunications has also funded cutting-edge R&D projects at IIT Guwahati, fostering Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to establish Assam as a technology innovation hub. These research initiatives focus on futuristic technologies beyond 5G, including:

• Wearable IoT Devices for real-time pre-disease monitoring and epidemic surveillance.

• Terahertz Topological Photonic Devices for ultra-fast 6G data transmission.

• Post-Quantum Secure Platforms for homomorphic computations on encrypted data—enhancing data privacy in a quantum computing era.

• 6G Test Bed featuring Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) and Multiplexing in collaboration with other leading academic institutions.

These projects underscore India’s intent to be at the forefront of global telecom and digital innovation, paving the way for 6G leadership.

This information was officially provided by Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

With these initiatives, Assam is set to emerge as a pivotal hub in India's digital transformation journey—bridging gaps, fostering innovation, and fueling the next wave of technology-driven growth.