UKTL joins India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre to secure global telecoms

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has announced the launch of the India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre (CIC) at India Mobile Congress 2025, a major step towards strengthening bilateral cooperation in telecoms innovation and security.

The CIC will focus on three critical areas:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimise networks and improve efficiency
• Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) including satellite and airborne systems for rural connectivity
• Telecoms cybersecurity to make systems more resilient against attacks

This initiative is backed by £24 million of joint UK and Indian Government funding and will collaborate with leading industry partners including BT Group, Ericsson, and Nokia.

UKTL will play a key role in delivering the cybersecurity pillar of this programme. As UKTL Managing Director Joanna Cavan OBE stated:

This collaboration underscores the UK’s commitment to secure, innovative telecoms infrastructure and reflects UKTL’s mission to protect critical national infrastructure, drive innovation and ensure resilience in an increasingly connected world.