THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, JULY 8, 2026

In a strategic move to accelerate India's leadership in telecom and broadcasting technologies, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL), a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB).

The partnership aims to strengthen India's capabilities in standardization, innovation and research across convergence and broadcasting technologies, while advancing flagship national initiatives such as Digital India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The MoU was signed in New Delhi by Devendra Singh, Deputy Director General, TEC, and Ramit Lala, Deputy General Manager (Projects), BECIL, in the presence of Syed Tausif Abbas, Sr. DDG and Head, TEC.

The collaboration establishes a formal framework for both organizations to jointly undertake technical studies, research and standardization activities in emerging broadcasting and convergence technologies. It will also facilitate the development of India-specific standards and testing frameworks, alongside technical contributions to leading global standardization bodies.

A key focus of the partnership will be on next-generation technologies, including Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) services, 5G Broadcast, Digital Rights Management (DRM) for IPTV and other content distribution platforms, Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB), and Conditional Access System (CAS) and Subscriber Management System (SMS) for television distribution networks.

Beyond existing technologies, TEC and BECIL will collaborate on future-ready solutions such as Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (FeMBMS), AI-enabled capabilities over integrated broadband cable networks, application accessibility for digital inclusion, intelligent user interfaces, and advanced multimedia broadcasting services.

The two organizations will also engage in need-based technical discussions on matters referred by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), providing expert recommendations on critical policy and technology issues.

Industry observers view the partnership as a significant step towards strengthening India's indigenous technology ecosystem and enhancing its role in shaping international standards. The collaboration is expected to deepen India's participation in global standardization forums, including the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

By combining TEC's technical expertise with BECIL's broadcast engineering capabilities, the alliance is expected to drive innovation, promote indigenous technology development and position India as a stronger contributor to the global telecom and broadcasting landscape.