Tech Mahindra is advancing private 5G networks in India, enabling Industry 4.0 applications such as connected robotics and real-time analytics
In sum – what to know:
Private 5G deployed – Tech Mahindra has executed private networks rollouts in automotive manufacturing, enabling enhanced robotics and analytics.
Adoption slowed by regulation – Spectrum issues, unclear RoI, and device limitations continue to stall India’s private 5G market.
AI-led use cases emerging – Collaborations with Indian telcos focus on combining 5G with AI, IoT, and edge computing to scale Industry 4.0 transformation.
Tech Mahindra is advancing private 5G networks in India, enabling Industry 4.0 applications such as connected robotics and real-time analytics while navigating regulatory hurdles and working with telcos on AI-led innovations.
The Pune-based IT services firm said it has already deployed captive non-public networks (CNPNs) in automotive manufacturing, improving productivity and quality. “We have executed deployments in collaboration with telcos and enterprises, bringing advanced Industry 4.0 use cases to life,” said Amol Phadke, chief transformation officer at Tech Mahindra.
The company is also collaborating with ecosystem players to co-develop AI-powered private 5G solutions for enterprises. Tech Mahindra had earlier partnered with Bharti Airtel to build India’s first 5G-enabled automobile manufacturing plant at Mahindra’s Chakan facility in 2022.
Private 5G networks promise ultra-fast, low-latency connectivity for enterprises and new revenue streams for telcos, but adoption in India has been slow due to spectrum availability, regulatory uncertainty, and unclear return on investment.
Phadke said adoption will accelerate as businesses recognize the RoI of digital transformation, noting that combining private 5G with AI, IoT, and edge computing can unlock large-scale Industry 4.0 deployment across sectors like logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing.
India’s Department of Telecommunications has initiated demand studies on private 5G spectrum, though response from enterprises has been limited. Industry body GSMA has recommended an operator-led model for enterprise 5G needs, citing cost-effectiveness and security benefits.
Tech Mahindra, meanwhile, continues to co-develop AI-led use cases with Indian operators, aiming to expand enterprise adoption and deliver tangible Industry 4.0 outcomes despite ongoing regulatory challenges.
Last month, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing Indian telcos, issued a strongly worded statement to say India is a special case and should not copy the licensing regimes in other countries — even where they have worked, arguably, to make private 4G and 5G easily available for enterprises.
COAI is weighing into an ongoing review of private 5G spectrum. The government’s department of telecoms (DoT) had finished on July 31 polling large enterprises in India to assess demand for directly-licensed spectrum for private 5G networks — in line with the mid-band spectrum carve-up in Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere. It invited firms with a “net-worth” of nearly $11.5 million to respond to a “demand survey” to register interest in licensing spectrum for “captive non-public networks.”
