February 05th , 2026; Mandi: The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) hosted a high-level delegation from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Shimla, for an official visit to review the Institute’s academic, research, and outreach initiatives in advanced telecommunications. The visit focused on evaluating the progress and utilization of the 5G Use Case Lab established under the DoT’s flagship initiative, along with interactions with Sanchar Mitra students.
The delegation was led by Shri Anil Kumar Gupta, Additional Director General Telecom (Addl. DGT) and Advisor for Himachal Pradesh Licensed Service Area (LSA), DoT, accompanied by Shri Sandeep Arya, Deputy Director General (Technology), and Shri Ramesh Kumar, Assistant Director (Technology). The team interacted with IIT Mandi leadership, faculty members of the School of Computing and Electrical Engineering (SCEE), and students, and reviewed the technical infrastructure and ongoing activities under the 5G and emerging 6G research ecosystem.
Dr. Adarsh Patel, Assistant Professor, SCEE, Nodal Officer of the 5G Use Case Lab and Sanchar Mitra programme, briefed the delegation on the lab’s academic and research initiatives, supported by faculty and student participation.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi, said, “At IIT Mandi, we view next-generation communication research as both a scientific and national responsibility. Our collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications enables us to align rigorous academic inquiry with India’s priorities for 5G, 6G, and long-term digital self-reliance.” Discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening collaboration among government, academia, startups, and youth to accelerate adoption of emerging technologies.
Shri Anil Kumar Gupta stated that 5G Use Case Labs have been set up in higher educational institutions to build competencies in 5G technologies and enable students to work in real-world 5G environments. He emphasized that these labs are also accessible to startups, MSMEs, and industry stakeholders, reinforcing DoT’s commitment to industry–academia collaboration and innovation-driven growth.
Faculty discussions centred on advancing India’s 6G vision through sustained academic research. Dr. Aditya Nigam, Chairperson, SCEE, Dr. Adarsh Patel and Dr. Pavan Reddy highlighted the lab’s role in supporting academic projects, innovation, and scalable real-world 5G use cases, while stressing the need for an end-to-end indigenous technology stack for future 6G systems.
Faculty members also outlined collaborations with DoT and C-DOT under initiatives such as the Telecommunications Technology Development Fund (TTDF). Over the past year, researchers including Dr. Adarsh Patel and Dr. Rahul Shrestha have secured over ₹4 crore in funding for next-generation telecom research.
The delegation interacted with Sanchar Mitra students, who are actively promoting awareness of citizen-centric DoT services such as Sanchar Saathi, addressing digital fraud, online scams, and grievance redressal. Appreciating their outreach and community impact, the delegation felicitated the team for exemplary service.
Overall, the visit reinforced IIT Mandi’s alignment with DoT in strengthening telecom security, enhancing rural connectivity, and advancing national initiatives including Digital India, Viksit Bharat, and the Bharat 6G Vision.
About IIT Mandi:
Indian Institutes of Technology Mandi is one of the top second-generation IITs located in Kamand Valley, Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is one of eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, and recognized as one of Institutes of National Importance. IIT Mandi’s permanent campus about 14 km (8.7 mi) from Mandi consists of the South and North campuses connected by a narrow neck. The South campus is on the left bank of the Uhl River below Kamand village. The North campus is along the Kataula Khad opposite Salgi village. A transit campus at Government Post graduate College, Mandi was handed over by the Himachal Pradesh Government on 16 November 2009.
The Kamand campus ground-breaking ceremony, to mark the start of construction, was held on 13 April 2012. On 25 April 2015, IIT Mandi became the first of all the new IITs to completely shift B. Tech students to its permanent campus in Kamand. Since its inception the institute has been involved with more than 275 Research and Development (R&D) projects worth more than ₹120 crore. In the past 10 years, the institute has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with as many as 11 international and 12 national universities.
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