With plans to implement the 5G ecosystem in 2020, India is focused on the compliance and testing of 5G standards which are likely to be finalized this year. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that India’s Department of Telecom will support the 5G test bed at the Institute of Technology in Chennai.
Work in implementing 5G is progressing in India with the Smart Cities Mission, as a part of which Nokia showcased over 60 different 5G use cases for India. Passenger vehicle sales crossed the 3 million mark in 2017, and smart solutions to track parking hours and billing will improve traffic conditions. Surveillance cameras placed at various public locations will help with data analysis to identify traffic and usage patterns and support the police to monitor law and order. Similar applications for healthcare and agriculture will benefit citizens of the country.
India’s thriving AI ecosystem, comparable to the U.S. and China, is already the focus of much academic research, evaluating new business ideas that can accelerate on the back of a well-established 5G infrastructure in the country.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
