JUNE 19: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with IIT Madras and Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCOE) India, inaugurated the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Symposium 2025 at the IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai. The event, inaugurated by Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom), aims to foster collaboration among academia, startups, and industry in advancing next-generation telecom innovation.
The TTDF, a flagship scheme of the DoT launched in October 2022, is designed to boost indigenous R&D in telecom, strengthen sovereign capabilities, and bridge the digital divide in rural and remote areas. To date, the Fund has approved over 120 R&D projects with sanctioned funding exceeding ₹500 crore, and ₹187 crore has already been disbursed to eligible institutions including startups, MSMEs, and academic bodies. Over 1300 proposals have been submitted under the scheme, highlighting its national impact.
The symposium, attended by over 500 participants from across India—including researchers, industry experts, government officials, and entrepreneurs—provides a unique platform for showcasing projects, discussing collaborative opportunities, and addressing execution challenges. Sessions cover key emerging areas such as 6G, AI/ML for IoT, quantum communication, and satellite networks.
A major highlight of the event was the announcement of India’s first Multi-Core Fiber Field Testing Facility, jointly developed by IIT Madras and STL Technologies. The testbed includes over 5 km of cable infrastructure and supports interoperability testing of multi-core fiber systems—crucial for future optical communication networks.
Dr. Neeraj Mittal emphasized the importance of leveraging collective innovation, urging stakeholders to contribute ideas and solutions for administrative streamlining and optimal utilization of resources. He announced the development of a dedicated TTDF portal for seamless sharing of tools, infrastructure, and data.
Additional Secretary Shri Gulzar Natarajan reaffirmed TTDF as more than just a funding mechanism, calling it a strategic pillar of India’s telecom roadmap focused on national security, economic growth, and self-reliance.
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, praised DoT’s support and encouraged institutions to deliver tangible, scalable outcomes. The symposium reflects India’s growing commitment to driving home-grown innovation through collaborative, future-ready telecom research.
, in collaboration with IIT Madras and Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCOE) India, inaugurated the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF)){kind=link}