Category: Communications

With global semi-conductor supply chain complex interconnected at many levels, Telangana must leverage its unique strengths to integrate seamlessly into it, well-known author and professor at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, Chris Miller said.

The State has potential to become a part of the global chain, he said.

Miller’s latest book “Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology” is a New York Times bestseller and a winner of the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award.

The semi-conductor industry is both capital and labour-intensive. Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) is key to developing a resilient semi-conductor ecosystem, he said at an event “Making India a Semi-Conductor Product Nation” organised at T-Hub by the IT Department in association with the VLSI Society of India.

Industry leaders, startup ecosystem stakeholders, academia and senior government officials participated in the programme, the organisers said in a release on Thursday.

The IT Department is committed to creating an enabling environment for the semi-conductor industry through initiatives that promote policy support, infrastructure development, and public-private partnerships. VLSI Society of India president Satya Gupta, Venkata Simhadri from ASIP Technologies, Subhash Chintamaneni from Micron, Siva Vanjari from IIT Hyderabad and Col. Anurag Awasthi, senior consultant to the IT Department, spoke.

Discussions at the programme were focused on critical issues, including strategic implications of geographic positioning in the semi-conductor supply chain and the merits of adopting a top-down approach in ecosystem development, the organisers said.

The discussion was a testament to Telangana’s commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration and investment in the semiconductor space, said S.K. Sharma, Director of Electronics, Semiconductors and Energy Storage Systems, Telangana government. The Hindu

Despite having one of the world’s fastest 5G rollouts, with 4.74 million base stations deployed since October 2022, corporate investment in cybersecurity remains “minimal”, said M U Nair, National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) on Thursday.

Enhancing cybersecurity
Urging industry leaders to step up investment in cybersecurity, Nair called for a fundamental shift in corporate governance, urging major industries to include cybersecurity professionals on their boards and include comprehensive security disclosures in their annual reports.

Speaking at CyberComm 2025, organised by FICCI, he also said that the government was working on trusted source product rules for equipment used in the power sector, after implementing it for telecom networks.

“I am sure you would have seen that the US is having a lot of problems with telecom networks. Since 2021, our telecom networks are fairly protected from cyber security vulnerabilities because they have addressed this issue of supply chain. Now should it be replicated in other Ministries? This is something which the government is working on with Ministry of Power because our energy grids need to be protected,” Nair said.

The NCSC outlined a vision for industry-led collaborative centres that would continuously monitor multiple systems and layers within India’s complex digital ecosystem. The proposed framework would establish cybersecurity as a service, with industry bodies taking shared responsibility for protecting sector-specific infrastructure.

“What we need is a commercial model where sectoral centres of excellence can protect key industries through continuous monitoring and risk assessment,” he said.

Nair informed that the government has moved to address these concerns through new policy frameworks, including the clarification of ministerial responsibilities for cybersecurity in September 2024, and the implementation of a National Security Directive restricting telecom infrastructure to trusted sources. Similar conditions of trusted sources in supply chain are being considered for other sectors like power sector.

The government is also looking at measures to address the critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals, which include “cyber security capsules given to them as part of their curriculum”, and establishing specialised BTech and MTech degrees on cyber security, Nair added.

According to Suprakash Chaudhuri, Country Head – Digital Industries, Siemens, and Co-Chair, Ficci Technology Committee, there is a substantial market opportunity in India’s cybersecurity sector, projecting a growth from $5.56 billion in 2025 to $12.9 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 18.33 per cent. The Hindu BusinessLine

The Andhra Pradesh government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Infosys for pre-validating the skill census being undertaken.

As part of the MoU, the IT major will support the government in recording the skill sets of the participants with the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Speaking on the MoU, AP Minister for IT Nara Lokesh said Infosys has undertaken pre-validation as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The skill census will help achieve the target of providing 20 lakh jobs for the youth in the State by assessing their existing skills and aligning them with market demand, Lokesh said.

The first-ever skill census in the country was launched by the State government in October last year, aiming to identify the skills of young people and enhance their training and employment prospects. The Hindu BusinessLine

The demands and complexity of campus networks are continuously rising. The increased volume and density of client devices, emerging applications requiring higher throughput and lower latency, and the extension of campus networking into new and unserved environments are accelerating WLAN innovation. This is resulting in the development of cutting-edge technologies such as Wi-Fi 7, Standard Power 6 GHz, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for WLAN networking. At the same time, new business and service models are being introduced to assist organizations in overcoming their campus networking challenges, helping further expand the Total Addressable Market (TAM) for WLAN equipment. ABI Research, a global technology intelligence firm, forecasts that these trends will rapidly expand annual global shipments of campus WLAN access points (APs), up from 22.2 million in 2024 to 41.8 million in 2030.

“Multi Dwelling Units (MDUs) are projected to be the fastest growing vertical over the period, with shipments of WLAN APs increasing more than 220% between 2024 and 2030,” says Andrew Spivey, Industry Analyst at ABI Research. “This growth is underpinned by the rapid expansion of the MDU market itself, which is being accelerated by the rise of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) that buy, sell, manage, and develop MDUs. Managed Wi-Fi services are increasingly being seen as an indispensable component of the core value proposition of MDUs, particularly for rentals, centralizing their entrenchment in the sector. Furthermore, an industry-wide refresh of MDU WLAN networks is expected to follow the introduction of Wi-Fi 7 briskly, as its new features, such as 6 GHz compatibility and Multi-Link Operation (MLO), are optimized for addressing the spectrum challenges that MDU networks currently face.”

Forecasts predict swift adoption of Wi-Fi 7 and 6 GHz across the Campus WLAN industry, and the same is expected for Wi-Fi 8 upon its introduction later in the decade. Yet traction for the WiGig standard (802.11ad/ay), another innovative WLAN technology that leverages the 60 GHz spectrum for long-range, high-gigabit Point-to-Point (PtP) and Point-to-Multi-Point (PtMP) Fixed Wireless, is unfortunately being held back from achieving its true potential. WiGig (FW), primarily deployed in campus environments as a fiber alternative or backup, for building-to-building connectivity, or for the connecting of remote locations, WiGighas many distinct benefits, including being quicker, more cost-efficient, and more versatile to install than alternative backhaul technologies like fiber.

Yet despite these advantages, adoption has been slow due to a small vendor ecosystem, the existence of more reliable alternatives, and a lack of market education. The future for the technology is now unclear, with hopes resting on the shoulders of a recently established Integrated Millimeter Wave (IMMW) Study Group, which aims to extend existing mainstream 802.11 standards into 60 GHz. However, with no official standardization from the IMMW Study Group expected to arrive before the tail-end of this decade, 60 GHz equipment shipments are expected to achieve only a 3% CAGR between 2024 and 2030.

“North America’s position as the largest market for Campus WLAN equipment is projected to remain unchanged through 2030, as the region benefits from favorable policies towards WLAN alongside a robust and mature Managed Service Provider landscape,” adds Spivey. “That said, the regions with the fastest growth rates are emerging economies in Asia and the Rest of the World, which are set to experience CAGRs between 2024 and 2030 of 25.9% and 25.1%, respectively.” ABI Research

The global digital twin market size is estimated to grow by USD 163.42 billion from 2025 to 2029, according to Technavio.

Fastest growing segment:
The on-premises segment dominates the global digital twin market due to the heightened security concerns of large enterprises in industries such as aerospace, automobile, and manufacturing. On-premises digital twin solutions offer businesses complete control over data security, enabling them to set user access policies, install security software, and manage patches. This level of control aligns with their business objectives and ensures the protection of valuable intellectual property. Major companies like General Electric Co., NASA, and Schneider have adopted on-premises digital twin solutions, with GE deploying over one million digital twins on its premises. The benefits of on-premises solutions include data control, reduced vendor dependency, foundation for future hybrid cloud expansion, and easier customization. The growth of the on-premises segment is driven by the increasing adoption by large enterprises and the need for predictive modeling, greater transparency, and data-driven decision-making across various industries. Contactless delivery of products and services is also expected to boost the market, as digital twin solutions help businesses understand the impacts of disrupted supply chains and make informed decisions regarding capacity and inventory.

Analyst Review
The Digital Twin Market is experiencing exponential growth, driven by the integration of Advanced Digital Technologies such as IoT, AI, and ML in various industries. Digital Twins are virtual replicas of physical assets, processes, or systems that use real-time data to provide accurate and actionable insights. The healthcare sector is leveraging Digital Twins for personalized patient care, while transportation and energy industries are optimizing their operations with Digital Twins. Big Data Analytics plays a crucial role in extracting valuable insights from the vast amount of data generated by Digital Twins. Virtual prototyping and 3D modeling enable real-time testing and simulation, reducing development time and costs. Digital Transformation is accelerating the adoption of Digital Twins, with cloud-based solutions and RPA streamlining processes. However, the increasing use of Digital Twins also poses cyber threats, necessitating security measures. The Digital Twin Market spans various sectors, including aerospace, telecommunications, manufacturing ecosystems, smart cities, and supply chain optimization.

Market Overview
Digital Twin technology is a revolutionary concept that leverages advanced digital technologies such as IoT, AI, and ML to create virtual replicas of physical assets or systems. These virtual models provide real-time data and analytics, enabling better decision-making and optimization across various industries. Digital Twins are not limited to products but can also represent processes, systems, and even entire cities. The technology finds applications in sectors like healthcare, transportation, energy, infrastructure, and more. Virtual prototyping, personalized medicine, traffic management, and energy consumption optimization are some of the key areas where Digital Twin Technology is making a significant impact. The technology is also being used in industries like aerospace, automotive, and telecommunications for product lifecycle management, supply chain optimization, and digital transformation. With the advent of cloud-based solutions, Digital Twins are becoming more accessible and affordable, leading to their increasing adoption across various sectors. However, the implementation of Digital Twins comes with challenges such as data collection, cyber threats, and real-time model accuracy. AI advancements and semiconductor innovations are expected to address these challenges and drive the growth of the Digital Twin market. Extended reality technologies like VR, AR, and XR are also being integrated with Digital Twins to provide experiences and enhance their utility.tal twin market size is estimated to grow by USD 163.42 billion from 2025 to 2029. Technavio

Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) is receiving $325 million in direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication facilities.

The Biden-Harris Administration says the US Department of Commerce awarded the money.

HSC is the only US-owned manufacturer of hyper-pure polysilicon and is one of just five companies in the world producing polysilicon to the purity level needed to serve the leading-edge semiconductor market.

This award will support the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Hemlock, Michigan and is expected to create approximately 180 manufacturing jobs and over 1,000 construction jobs over time. The award follows the previously signed preliminary memorandum of terms, announced on October 21, 2024, and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. The Department will distribute the funds based on HSC’s completion of project milestones.

“CHIPS for America’s investment in HSC will help advance supply chain security by ensuring the U.S. has a reliable, domestic supply of polysilicon – the bedrock of semiconductors,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Establishing a domestic source of these materials is important for development of leading-edge chip applications, which helps bolster our economic and national security. Through targeted investments like this, the Biden-Harris Administration is driving technological innovation in industries of the future and creating jobs across the country.”

“Nearly every single semiconductor made in America relies on the kind of advanced polysilicon that this investment will enable Hemlock to produce,” said National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard. “Today’s announcement not only secures this key material needed for a resilient domestic semiconductor supply chain, but it will also further bolster Michigan as a manufacturing powerhouse.”

“We are pleased to announce the signing of a direct funding agreement with the Department of Commerce under the CHIPS Act. This agreement is a key milestone in enhancing our manufacturing capabilities as we continue to serve the leading-edge semiconductor market with high quality and sustainably made polysilicon,” said HSC Chairman and CEO AB Ghosh. “The new facility will play a crucial role in strengthening the semiconductor supply chain in the United States. The support from the Department of Commerce and our dedicated partners at all levels of government has been instrumental in making this possible. We look forward to contributing to the revitalization of the domestic supply chain, creating good-paying jobs and driving technological leadership in the semiconductor industry.” Mid Michigan Now

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella on Wednesday announced a partnership with the government to upskill 5 lakh students and teachers in AI by 2026.

Speaking at the company’s event in New Delhi, Nadella said the tech giant will be partnering with the Ministry of Electronics and IT for the skilling program, and also establishing a centre of excellence to promote rural AI innovation.

During his keynote address, Nadella explained the various Copilot integrations across the Microsoft 365 suite of products and revealed that the company is in partnership with Qualcomm for Copilot PCs.

Nadella is visiting India currently, having met various government officials including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Bengaluru yesterday, Nadella announced plans to invest $3 billion in India for cloud and AI development, as well as committed to train 10 million people in India by 2030.

Nadella had also met Chief Minister of Telangana Revanth Reddy on Dec. 30 to boost economic growth in the state and to bring Hyderabad into the top 50 cities in the world for generating economic growth. NDTV Profit

HSBC Global Research raised forecast for the dividend payment from Bharti Airtel Ltd because of free cash flow outlook improvement and rising cash flow needs at the promoter entity, Bharti Telecom Ltd. The brokerage sees it increasing 114% to 17 per share in the financial year 2025.

In three years, Bharti Airtel’s dividend payment will likely quadruple to Rs 34 per share in financial year 2027, HSBC Global Research said in a note on Tuesday. Its dividend forecast is 44% higher than the consensus estimate.

Rising cash flow need of the promoter Bharti Telecom Ltd. due to rise in debt is one of the reasons behind HSBC Global Research’s high estimates for dividend payment. Bharti Telecom owns 40.33% stake in Bharti Airtel.

Bharti Telecom’s interest expense will increase to Rs 3,200 crore in financial year 2026 as debt rose recently after it increased stakes in Bharti Airtel during November 2024. If assumed dividend payment is taking place by FY25 end, it will cover finance cost of Bharti Telecom in the next financial year. It implied Bharti Airtel’s total dividend payment will rise to Rs 9,900 crore, which means the company will pay 17.1 per share for its fully paid-up shares in financial year 2025.

“We forecast DPS will rise by 33% year on year to Rs 22.7 in FY26 estimate and 50% year on year to Rs 34.1 in FY27e. Our dividend forecasts for FY26e-27e are higher than consensus estimates by 28-45%,” HSBC Global Research said.

Bharti Airtel’s FCF outlook is improving and leverage reaching comfortable levels in India business, according to HSBC Global Research.

HSBC Global Research kept ‘Buy’ rating for Bharti Airtel along with Rs 1,940 target price. The brokerage believes the telecom company is well positioned for return on invested capital improvement driven by margin expansion and improving invested capital turnover.

Bharti Airtel’s average revenue per user will likely rise because of tariff hike in financial year 2027, subscriber migration to higher data plans due to higher data usage, and gains in high-value post-paid subs. “We forecast mobile ARPU to reach Rs 301 by FY27e (unchanged).”

Bharti Airtel’s consolidated Ebitda will likely increase at a rate of 15% compound annual growth rate and earning per share will rise at a CAGR of 75%, according to HSBC Global Research. NDTV Profit

For the first time since 2022, India’s average monthly wireless data usage per subscriber showed a slight dip, as per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) performance indicator report. As per the report for July-September 2024, data usage decreased to 21.10 GB per month from 21.30 GB in the previous quarter, a 0.93 per cent decline. The last such a dip occurred in 2022 when data usage was at 17.11 GB in the quarter ending in December, a 0.40 per cent decrease from the 17.18 GB data usage recorded in the previous September ending quarter.

As per the latest report, total wireless data usage volume decreased by 0.02 per cent from 56,183 PB during the June-ending quarter to 56,174 PB during the September-ending quarter. Out of total data wireless usage, only 2G and 5G data usage increased by 40 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively. 3G declined by 3.3 per cent, and 4G declined by 3.1 per cent. While some experts say the decline may be attributed to the recent tariff hike by telcos, others raise the possibility of whether data usage may have reached a saturation point.

When asked about the possible cause for this change, Mahesh Uppal, Director of Com First (India), said that the impact on usage may be associated with the recent increase in service rates over the last year. This is in line with Independent telecom expert Parag Kar’s assessment, who associated the decline with the strain caused by recent price hikes. This argument is also in line with the 2022 decline since telcos revised the data plans for 4G and 5G around that time.

However, Uppal also pointed out another data point to consider which was the increase in the use of wireline data.

“This number [average wireless data usage] by itself would be an incomplete picture. There is a slow but significant increase in the use of wireline data for particularly heavy users. If you look at the wireline data of the TRAI this month and for the last few months, that is where some of the increase is happening since more people are using fiber. That number is tiny compared to the number of wireless users, but it’s still a visible trend. This would also impact heavier users,” he said.

By this, Uppal referred to subscriber numbers in the latest TRAI report, which showed that wireline subscribers increased 5.20 per cent over the previous quarter, whereas wireless subscribers declined 1.44 per cent over the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, Kartik Raja, Founder of Mozark AI digital experience testing platform, raised the question of whether the change in usage should be attributed to data usage hitting peak levels rather than changing subscriber numbers.

“I’m also very surprised as to why there is a reduction in the data usage numbers. Has this just [number] peaked? Has everything peaked? This may be why even operators are raising prices, because they just find user data usage has probably reached that level of inelastic demand. But that would be just difficult to predict today, right? You’ll have to wait for one more quarter,” he said. The notion of inelasticity of demand for wireless services was highlighted by Kar, as well as a potential hurdle for telcos in the future. The Hindu BusinessLine

India must get into frontier work in artificial intelligence and build foundational models, but investment is a real entry barrier and just one mathematical breakthrough can change entire dynamics, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said.

During his second day of Microsoft India AI Tour, Nadella said that India can do great work in the area of Indic languages and transforming its industries using artificial intelligence.

“There’s no reason why India can’t do frontier work, but you can even define frontier pretty unique. So for example, I don’t think the last known big breakthrough in AI frontier has happened. I always say we are one mathematical breakthrough away from that entire edifice being thrown out and being going after something else,” Nadella said.

He said academics in India, the research institutions, including Microsoft Research, are very fantastic math team and algorithms team.
“Let’s not be bound, quite frankly, with what is considered frontier. So I would say India definitely should also do frontier work. Also use the frontier in order to, post training, to make it great for Indic languages, make it great for Indian industry, and so on,” Nadella said.

In response to a question by additional secretary in the IT ministry Abhishek Singh on whether India should build its own AI foundational model, Nadella said that India always has an option to do that but the real entry barrier in making foundational models is investment.

He said the other way to look at the investment barrier is to lower the cost with the help of research, which is always open for India.

“I think that is the design space here is there for India to make some smart, strategic choice. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t do like you know, but then you have to be mindful that it is a capital intensive business if you want to be on the frontier,” Nadella said.
At present, India is using AI engines or the foundational models developed by OpenAI, Google etc.

At the event, Microsoft announced strategic partnerships with RailTel, Apollo Hospitals, Bajaj Finserv, Mahindra Group, and upGrad to help their teams and customers benefit from cloud and AI innovation. The company also signed an agreement with India AI to advance AI and emerging technologies in the country and establish AI Centre of Excellence and AI Productivity Labs to foster inclusive growth. PTI