India’s 100 government-backed 5G Use Case Labs are helping students and researchers move telecom ideas from academic projects towards practical applications. At India Mobile Congress 2026, the government highlighted the initiative’s progress, including thousands of students using the facilities and hundreds of products and use cases developed through the programme.
100 5G Labs Move Beyond Infrastructure
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated a workshop on the 5G Use Case Labs at India Mobile Congress in New Delhi on October 9. The workshop focused on how academic research, industry partnerships and emerging technologies can contribute to India’s 5G Advanced and future 6G ecosystem.
The labs were awarded to 100 academic institutions in October 2023 under a government initiative with an outlay of Rs 97.67 crore. According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), all 100 labs became operational by April 2025. Their purpose is to give students and researchers opportunities to experiment with 5G technologies, develop prototypes and test applications that address practical problems.
The programme is also intended to connect colleges and universities with startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and telecom industry participants. That collaboration can help promising projects move beyond classroom demonstrations towards intellectual property creation, further development and potential commercial deployment.
More Than 17,400 Students Have Used the Labs
The government reported that more than 17,400 students had used the labs by August 2026. It also said that 97 institutions were conducting 5G-related courses, with more than 21,000 students enrolled.
The initiative has contributed to the development of 634 products and use cases, alongside 158 intellectual property filings and 32 patents granted, according to the government’s October 9 announcement. These figures indicate that the programme is being used for more than theoretical learning, although the announcement does not establish that every product or prototype has reached commercial deployment.
For students, the value of the facilities lies in the ability to work with 5G infrastructure and test how network capabilities can support applications in areas such as connected devices, industrial automation, healthcare, agriculture and education. The specific projects available at each institution may vary according to its equipment, research focus and industry partnerships.
What Can Students and Startups Develop?
The government’s 5G innovation programmes cover applications that use both 5G connectivity and related technologies. Potential areas include Internet of Things (IoT) systems, AI-assisted network maintenance, smart healthcare, industrial automation, disaster management, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), network security and non-terrestrial networks.
The DoT’s 5G Innovation Hackathon 2026 also covered 5G Advanced, artificial intelligence, network slicing, telecom security and quantum communications. These themes provide a useful indication of the types of problems the ecosystem is intended to address, but they should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every lab supports every technology or project.
At the October 9 workshop, discussions also covered AI-native networks, intelligent connectivity, 6G spectrum planning, global standardisation and industry-academia collaboration. These subjects connect present-day 5G experimentation with the technologies and standards that will shape future mobile networks.
How Students and Institutions Can Participate
Students interested in using a 5G Use Case Lab should begin by contacting their college’s relevant department, faculty coordinator or research team. The government initiative is centred on 100 designated academic institutions, so access arrangements and available facilities need to be confirmed with the institution hosting the lab. Students at other colleges can ask about collaborative research, project partnerships or access through a participating institution; the announcement does not establish a universal walk-in access scheme.
Startups and researchers can also explore collaboration with the designated institutions to test ideas or develop prototypes. The government has specifically identified links with startups and MSMEs as part of the initiative, but prospective participants should confirm the lab’s own process, available equipment, supervision requirements and any project-selection criteria before planning a trial.
The 2026 5G Innovation Hackathon offers a separate example of how teams can seek structured support. The DoT’s published information says the competition accepted proposals through designated lab institutions, with mentorship, prototype-development support and seed funding for selected teams. However, the application window ran from March 20 to April 17, 2026, and the government announced the selected teams and showcase activity around IMC 2026. Students should therefore check the official portal for any new call rather than assume the 2026 application round remains open.
From Prototypes to Deployment
The next test for the 100 labs is how effectively research can progress into useful, repeatable solutions. That requires more than access to equipment: teams need real-world problem statements, technical mentoring, testing opportunities, industry feedback and a route to intellectual property protection or deployment.
The government has said it wants innovation to extend beyond competitions and prototypes into entrepreneurship, industry partnerships and commercial use. The lab network provides a foundation for that work, but the number of solutions adopted by businesses or public services will be an important measure of its longer-term impact.
For students, the immediate opportunity is to identify a relevant lab, connect with its faculty and research teams, and understand how to develop and test a concrete use case. For institutions, the challenge is to turn laboratory access into sustained projects that connect academic learning with India’s evolving 5G and 6G technology needs.
