India–Germany Cooperation in Telecom and Digital Transformation | 19 Feb 2026

Source: PIB 

A meeting was held between India and Germany to advance cooperation in telecommunications and digital transformation under the Indo-German Strategic Partnership, building upon the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) signed during the India–Germany Summit 2026. 

• JDI Framework: The JDI establishes a forward-looking, non-binding framework for structured collaboration in telecommunications and digital governance. It reflects shared values of openness, trust, innovation, and resilience in digital ecosystems. 
• India's Digital Transformation Showcase: India highlighted its digital achievements, including: 
  • Over 1.23 billion telecom subscribers and nearly a billion internet users. 
  • 5G coverage extends to approximately 99.9% of districts. 
  • Data tariffs averaging around USD 0.10 per GB (among the lowest globally) 
  • Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processing approximately 250 billion transactions annually and being adopted by multiple partner countries as a model for interoperable digital payments. 
• German Technological Expertise: Germany shared its advancements in quantum encryption and secure information transport, including a successful demonstration of quantum communication over a 35 km link for 11 consecutive days. 
• Priority Areas for Collaboration: Both sides identified key focus areas, including 5G/5G-Advanced, early engagement on 6G standardization, network modernization, trusted telecom architectures, supply chain resilience, AI at the edge, industry-grade network slicing, and Open RAN (Radio Access Network) ecosystems. 
• Multilateral Cooperation: India sought Germany’s support for: 
  • India’s candidature for Director, Radiocommunication Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)  
  • India’s re-election to the ITU Council for the term 2027–2030 
  • India’s proposal to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030.