New Delhi, February 18, 2025 – In a significant move to accelerate technological advancements, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This partnership aims to drive innovations in AI-powered solutions, digital twins, virtual worlds, and IMT-2030 technologies, fostering a new era of digital transformation.
The collaboration is set to establish global standards for interoperability, sustainable development, and citizen-centric urban planning. With rapid digitalization shaping industries worldwide, the joint initiative will focus on integrating advanced technologies to enhance smart infrastructure and governance frameworks.
Strengthening Interoperability and Sustainable Development
The DoT and ITU partnership seeks to develop global frameworks that ensure seamless data exchange and integration across multiple sectors. The initiative will leverage insights from India’s Sangam Digital Twin project and ITU’s Citiverse programme to enhance urban planning and infrastructure management. These digital twin initiatives create virtual representations of physical assets, such as city maps and buildings, integrating real-time AI and mobile data to optimize resource allocation and urban mobility solutions.
The collaboration is particularly significant for India’s expanding smart city initiatives, as the country continues to enhance digital infrastructure. By working with ITU-T Study Group 20, India aims to establish global standards and APIs for Internet of Things (IoT), digital twins, and smart city ecosystems.
Advancing AI-Driven Urban Planning and Governance
A major component of this collaboration is the creation of sandbox environments to test emerging digital twin technologies. These controlled settings will allow policymakers and technologists to pilot cutting-edge solutions, refine regulatory frameworks, and scale up digital transformation initiatives.
Additionally, AI-powered platforms will facilitate real-time citizen engagement in urban planning, fostering participatory governance and data-driven decision-making. The partnership will also explore the adoption of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) to ensure secure data sharing within digital twin ecosystems.
Furthermore, AI models tailored to local datasets will be developed to enhance infrastructure planning and urban mobility solutions. This approach aligns with the government’s broader vision of deploying AI and digital twin technology to improve public services, transportation networks, and smart governance frameworks.
India’s Vision for Digital Twin and Smart Infrastructure
Launched in February 2024, Sangam: Digital Twin Initiative is a flagship project by the DoT, leveraging 5G, 6G, IoT, AI, and AR/VR technologies to build smart infrastructure. The initiative aligns with the National Digital Twin programme, introduced in India’s 2023 National Geospatial Policy, which seeks to create a unified platform for infrastructure data sharing and insights across sectors.
By integrating AI, digital twins, and IoT, this initiative will play a crucial role in enhancing urban mobility, environmental sustainability, and real-time governance solutions. With the growing adoption of smart city frameworks and AI-driven solutions, India is set to become a global leader in next-generation digital infrastructure.
The Road Ahead
As India continues to drive AI and digital twin adoption, the partnership between DoT and ITU will be instrumental in shaping the future of urban development and smart governance. By fostering global collaboration, establishing standardization protocols, and leveraging emerging technologies, this initiative will contribute to a more interconnected, efficient, and sustainable digital ecosystem.
With the rapid expansion of 5G and upcoming 6G networks, India’s digital transformation journey is poised for significant advancements. This strategic collaboration will not only enhance technological interoperability but also pave the way for data-driven policy frameworks, enabling seamless urban management and improved quality of life for citizens.
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