India Eyes Key Role in Shaping Global 6G Spectrum Framework
NITI Aayog would bring together national stakeholders to take forward discussions on the golden band as a national mission.
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New Delhi , Sept 29 : India has an opportunity to play a defining role in shaping the global spectrum framework for sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks, particularly in the upper 6 GHz and 7-8 GHz frequency ranges known as the “6G golden band,” NITI Aayog Member Abhay Karandikar said.
The “golden band” comprises the upper 6 GHz spectrum from 6.425 GHz to 7.125 GHz and the 7-8 GHz range. Karandikar said India should build an early national consensus on the spectrum and adopt a coordinated position at international forums.
He made the remarks at a high-level stakeholder meeting in New Delhi as the global telecom industry prepares for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27), scheduled to be held in October 2027 in Shanghai, China.
Karandikar called for a coordinated national approach to support India's ambitions in 6G development and deployment. He said NITI Aayog would bring together national stakeholders to take forward discussions on the golden band as a national mission.
He also highlighted the need for detailed coexistence studies and careful spectrum planning to protect existing fixed, satellite and other services while progressively making spectrum available for emerging technologies.
IAFI, in collaboration with NITI Aayog and with support from Qualcomm, hosted a Stakeholders’ Consultation on the 6G Golden Band on 23 Sept 2026 at CSOI, New Delhi, bringing key stakeholders together to discuss India’s future 6G spectrum needs, with a focus on 6425–8400 MHz. pic.twitter.com/zVFxyRSsoN
— ITU-APT Foundation of India (@ItuApt) September 26, 2026
Ravi Gandhi, President and Chief Public Policy and Regulatory Officer at Reliance Jio, stressed the need for substantially more mid-band spectrum. He said the golden band could potentially serve as a backbone for 6G by combining wide-area coverage with the capacity required to meet growing data demand.
Ashish Garg, Director, Spectrum and Policy – APAC at GSMA, said advanced technologies such as MIMO and AI-enabled radio networks could improve network efficiency but would not replace the need for additional mid-band spectrum.
He highlighted the importance of internationally harmonised 200-400 MHz channels for emerging 6G applications, including immersive communications, extended reality (XR) and integrated AI services. According to him, harmonisation could also support economies of scale and affordable device ecosystems.
Bharat Bhatia, President of the ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI), said the golden band could provide the coverage, capacity and contiguous bandwidth required by future 6G networks. He called for a clear national position backed by technical studies and protection of existing spectrum users, along with regional cooperation with Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) countries.
IAFI has also proposed a study-led and collaborative approach under which the 6425-8400 MHz range, or suitable portions of it, could evolve into a regional and global tuning range for 6G while allowing countries to address their national requirements.
The consultation was jointly organised by NITI Aayog and IAFI and brought together representatives from the Department of Telecommunications, Wireless Planning Commission, TRAI, ISRO, Ministry of Defence, Reliance Jio, Qualcomm, GSMA, industry and academia.
Discussions focused on the 6425-8400 MHz range, which is being considered as an important upper mid-band resource for future 6G networks because of its combination of coverage, capacity and contiguous bandwidth.