Ericsson set up India’s first innovation lab for 5G at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, where it is working to fast-track deployments in the country by bringing together telecoms ecosystems, academia, industry and start-ups.

Borje Ekholm, president and CEO of Ericsson (pictured, right), said the Centre of Excellence and Innovation Lab aims to stimulate the 5G ecosystem in India, noting “we would like to unleash the creativity and innovation of the Indian industry, academia and entrepreneurs to fully leverage and make 5G a reality in India”.

The vendor is showcasing the first live 5G demonstration of beamforming and beam tracking technologies in the country at the centre.

Manoj Sinha, minister of state for Communications and also for Railways (pictured, left), said: “The 5G Centre of Excellence supports the government’s plans to foster a robust and vibrant 5G ecosystem in India. We want India to be an active participant in the design, development and manufacture of 5G-based technologies, products and apps.”

He said the country needs the entire ecosystem to work together to make 5G a reality over the next two to three years.

Ericsson research predicts 5G enabled revenue in India could reach $27.3 billion by 2026, with the country’s operators potentially generating an additional $13 billion in revenue if they take up roles beyond being connectivity and infrastructure providers to become service enablers and creators.

It forecasts the largest opportunity will be in sectors such as manufacturing, energy and utilities, followed by public safety and health.