IIT Kanpur to mentor new-age 5G, 6G workforce

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur will train and mentor the workforce in cutting-edge 5G and 6G communication technologies, which is estimated to contribute $450bn to India’s economy in 15 years.

While countries like the US, South Korea, Japan and China have already deployed 5G technology and are already testing 6G modules, India has been struggling due to the lack of industry talent, capital and advancement constraints.

These technologies will have the potential to employ 22mn skilled workers by 2025, while contributing $450bn to the domestic economy in 15 years, according to IIT Kanpur.

“After facing a massive talent crunch of almost 28 per cent in new-age technologies last year, India is on its path to building a world-class skilled workforce for 5G and its supporting industries,” the Institute said.

To cater to industry demands, IIT Kanpur has launched an e-Master’s degree in Communication Systems.

Developed by the IIT Kanpur Department of Electrical Engineering, the degree is aimed at skilling professionals in designing modern communication systems based on 5G, 6G, and edge-computing platforms.

The executive-friendly format provides flexibility to professionals to complete the degree anywhere in between 1-3 years.

“India is pacing up to join the group of nations leading in 5G technologies. The recent developments in (the) 5G testbed launch and ongoing research on 6G have brought (the) potential for a new workforce to take lead,” an IIT Kanpur communiqué said.

The recent launch of India’s first 5G testbed named 5Gi has become a stepping stone towards rolling out this futuristic technology to build smarter infrastructure facilities.

Interestingly, IIT Kanpur was assigned to develop the Baseband Unit (BBU) of the 5G NR base station as part of the testbed.

The new programme will help the future workforce gain the 360-degree expertise required to shape and build the communication future of India.