At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the COAI, with DoT and STPI, declared telecom as the indispensable backbone for India's AI future, stressing that robust 5G-Advanced and 6G networks are crucial for scaling AI applications nationwide.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has positioned telecommunications as the indispensable backbone of the nation's technological evolution, declaring that "Telecom will power India's AI future" during the India AI Impact Summit 2026. In a strategic collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), the COAI hosted high-level sessions focused on the synergy between next-generation networks and artificial intelligence. The summit underscored a pivotal shift: AI is no longer just a software play, but a physical infrastructure challenge that relies heavily on the robustness of India's digital highways.
Summit Focuses on AI and Network Synergy
The summit featured two flagship sessions, "Generative AI and Future Networks" and "AI-Powered Bharat through Universal Digital Connectivity." These discussions brought together a powerhouse of policymakers and industry titans to map out how 5G-Advanced and emerging 6G frameworks will handle the massive data demands of GenAI.
Key Insights for an AI-Powered Bharat
The sessions highlighted several crucial insights for India's AI journey. Participants reached a consensus that AI scaling, whether in governance or private industry, is impossible without low-latency, high-bandwidth telecom networks. Experts also emphasised that the next decade will be defined by the seamless integration of Compute, Connectivity, and Data. Finally, the discussions highlighted the importance of universal access, stressing that digital connectivity must be ubiquitous to achieve an "AI-Powered Bharat," ensuring that AI-driven tools in healthcare and agriculture reach the last mile.
From Pipe Providers to Intelligence Enablers
The collaboration between the DoT, STPI, and COAI signals a unified front in India's bid to become a global AI hub. By integrating AI capabilities directly into the network fabric, telecom operators are moving beyond being mere "pipe providers" to becoming active enablers of intelligence.
As per the statement by COAI, "The convergence of compute and connectivity is the new electricity for the digital age. Our networks are the nervous system that will carry the intelligence of AI to every corner of the country."
A Call for 'Future-Ready' Infrastructure
As India moves toward a more automated and data-driven economy, the summit served as a call to action for stakeholders to invest in "future-ready" infrastructure. The roadmap involves not just faster internet, but "intelligent" networks capable of real-time processing at the edge. (ANI)
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