'Every Telco Will Become A Techco' - KPMG's Purushothaman KG

India's ambition to lead in 6G represents a strategic shift from being primarily a consumer of telecom technology to a developer and exporter. The government's telecom Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has generated Rs 6,000 crore in investment, Rs 1.2 lakh crore in sales, and Rs 25,600 crore in exports, indicating a move towards indigenous manufacturing. This suggests a focus on building domestic capacity, rather than just acquiring it, which could alter India's position in the global telecom value chain.

KPMG India's Purushothaman KG highlighted the integration of AI and telecommunications, noting that strong networks and compute capacity are critical for AI infrastructure. He described a dual approach in India: embedding AI into network, cloud, and hyperscaler facilities, and shifting the telecom industry's focus from B2C to delivering AI-powered solutions for enterprises. This reorientation suggests that telecom operators are evolving into 'techcos,' developing intelligent software and components to address industry-specific problems, as telcos build software and enterprise solutions in-house or with startups.

The push for indigenous computing capacity, especially at the edge, is a key component of India's 'physical AI' strategy. While many critical components are currently imported, the establishment of the Gwalior Telecom Manufacturing Zone and the Bharat 6G Alliance, which holds 7,700 patents (4,400 international), signals efforts to localize production and innovation. This focus on domestic development and contribution to global standards suggests an intent to transition from a follower to a leader in network and AI computing capacity, moving beyond a support role.