India and Brazil Sign ICT Cooperation Pact to Deepen Ties in 5G, 6G, AI and Digital Infrastructure

India and Brazil have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand bilateral cooperation in telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies, creating a broad framework for collaboration across emerging technologies, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and next-generation connectivity.

The agreement was signed in Pune on August 21 by Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Brazil’s Minister of Communications Frederico de Siqueira Filho on the sidelines of the BRICS ICT Track meeting.

The MoU reflects the growing technological dimension of the India-Brazil strategic partnership and seeks to promote regular exchanges of information, technical expertise, experiences and best practices between the two countries. Cooperation will be based on equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect, while encouraging both sides to explore areas where their respective digital ecosystems can complement one another.

Focus on 5G, 6G and Emerging Telecom Technologies

One of the most significant elements of the agreement is its emphasis on technologies that are expected to shape the next generation of global communications networks.

India and Brazil plan to deepen cooperation in areas including 5G and 6G telecommunications, Artificial Intelligence, Open Radio Access Networks, the Internet of Things and Direct-to-Device connectivity. The framework also includes Low Earth Orbit satellite systems and Non-Terrestrial Networks, which are becoming increasingly important for extending connectivity to remote and underserved regions.

The two countries will also exchange knowledge relating to telecommunications policies and regulation, spectrum management, satellite and orbital resource management and the development of private communication networks.

Such cooperation could become increasingly important as governments prepare for the convergence of terrestrial mobile networks, satellite communications and intelligent digital infrastructure.

Digital Infrastructure and Submarine Connectivity

The agreement places substantial emphasis on the physical infrastructure required to support rapidly expanding digital economies.

India and Brazil intend to cooperate in areas such as optical fibre networks, digital infrastructure and submarine cable systems. These networks form the backbone of international digital connectivity and are essential for cloud computing, data centres, financial transactions, digital services and cross-border data flows.

Closer collaboration could allow the two countries to share experiences in expanding high-capacity telecom networks while improving resilience and reducing connectivity gaps.

India has undertaken extensive expansion of fibre networks, mobile infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure in recent years, while Brazil’s large geography presents similar challenges in extending reliable connectivity across remote regions.

These shared experiences provide significant scope for cooperation.

Cybersecurity and Digital Public Infrastructure

Cybersecurity will form another major component of the partnership.

As telecommunications networks become increasingly interconnected and software-driven, governments face growing challenges related to cyberattacks, infrastructure vulnerabilities and the protection of digital services.

Under the MoU, India and Brazil will explore cooperation in cybersecurity along with Digital Public Infrastructure, capacity building and the exchange of technical best practices.

Speaking during the signing, Scindia said the agreement would help deepen bilateral cooperation across universal connectivity, cybersecurity, Digital Public Infrastructure, emerging technologies and institutional capacity building.

India’s experience in developing population-scale digital systems has increasingly become an element of its international technology partnerships. Platforms associated with digital identity, instant payments and digital public services have generated interest among several emerging economies.

Expanding Universal and Meaningful Connectivity

The agreement also addresses one of the most important challenges facing large developing economies: ensuring that digital connectivity reaches people outside major urban centres.

India and Brazil will cooperate on universal and meaningful connectivity, digital inclusion and consumer protection.

Both countries have large populations spread across geographically diverse territories, making affordable connectivity an important economic and social policy objective.

Satellite communications, Direct-to-Device technologies, fibre expansion and next-generation wireless systems could therefore play an increasingly important role in extending digital services to remote communities.

Sustainability Enters the Telecom Agenda

The India-Brazil framework also recognises the environmental impact of rapidly expanding telecommunications infrastructure.

The two sides will explore cooperation on reducing the environmental footprint of ICT systems and managing the digital transition more sustainably.

Telecommunication networks, data centres, satellite infrastructure and computing systems consume growing amounts of energy as digital demand expands. Improving network efficiency and integrating cleaner energy sources into digital infrastructure are consequently becoming important elements of telecommunications policy worldwide.

A Broader India-Brazil Technology Partnership

The telecom agreement adds another dimension to the expanding relationship between India and Brazil, two major members of BRICS and the Global South.

Both countries possess large domestic markets, growing digital economies and increasingly sophisticated technology ecosystems. Cooperation in telecommunications could therefore extend beyond government-level exchanges and eventually create opportunities for companies, research institutions, telecom operators and technology developers from both countries.

Areas such as Open RAN, satellite communications, AI-enabled networks, cybersecurity and future 6G technologies could become particularly important as telecommunications systems evolve during the coming decade.

The MoU signed in Pune provides the institutional framework for that cooperation. Rather than concentrating on a single technology, it covers nearly the entire emerging communications ecosystem—from fibre and submarine cables to satellites, AI, 5G, 6G and Digital Public Infrastructure.

For India and Brazil, the agreement represents another step toward building a broader technology partnership centred on secure connectivity, digital inclusion and the development of next-generation telecommunications infrastructure.

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Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, August 21, 2026.

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