Bengaluru: A Made-in-India 5G radio has taken a step towards commercial deployment, with deep-tech company WiSig Networks opening commercial orders for the technology. Bulk supplies are expected to begin in 2027.The development is significant for India’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported telecom equipment and build capabilities in advanced wireless communication. The technology, which also has applications in 5G-Advanced networks, emerged from research led by Prof Kiran Kuchi at IIT Hyderabad, with support from IIITB COMET Foundation, Bengaluru, under the Department of Science and Technology’s National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).The 5G radio uses multiple antennas working together to transmit and receive several signals simultaneously, a technique that helps improve network capacity, performance and coverage. Such capabilities are increasingly important as mobile data consumption rises and networks need to handle more connected devices and higher data traffic.The research was licensed to WiSig Networks, a deep-tech company founded at IIT Hyderabad. The company first showcased the radio at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March 2026 and subsequently opened commercial orders at the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi in October.Prof. Debabrata Das, chairman of the governing body of IIITB COMET Foundation and director of IIIT-Bangalore, said the development demonstrated how academic research could progress towards commercial products.“This is precisely the kind of outcome that research funding should aim to achieve. It is encouraging to see research undertaken at an academic institution, with support from IIITB COMET Foundation, progress towards a product that has the potential for commercial deployment,” he said, underlining the importance of academia-industry collaboration in building indigenous capabilities in emerging technologies.
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Sridhar Pillalamarri, CEO of IIITB COMET Foundation, said: “The real value of research is also reflected in its ability to address practical needs.” He said the development showed how research support, technology transfer and industry participation could bring indigenous innovations closer to the market.The Foundation, established at IIIT-Bangalore under the NM-ICPS programme, supports research and technology development in advanced communication systems, including indigenous solutions for 5G and next-generation networks.The opening of commercial orders marks an important stage in the development of the technology, although large-scale supplies are yet to begin. Its commercial deployment will be an indicator of how effectively Indian research and industry can work together to build and take advanced telecommunications products to market.