Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 6: A total of 110 projects related to the development of 5G and 6G technologies, amounting to Rs 304.70 crore, have been approved under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme as of June 30, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Launched on October 1, 2022, the TTDF scheme aims to boost R&D and innovation in telecom technologies through collaboration among academia, start-ups, MSMEs, research institutions, and industry stakeholders. According to Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, the duration of the approved projects ranges from 1 to 5 years and they are currently in the early development phase.

The scheme is actively supporting efforts in various technological domains, targeting advancements in both 5G and the upcoming 6G ecosystem.

In addition to technological development, the government is focusing on curbing financial frauds related to telecom. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has introduced a Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) — a tool that categorises mobile numbers based on their likelihood of being involved in financial fraud, classifying them as Medium, High, or Very High risk.

This FRI tool is available via the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), providing critical data to banks, NBFCs, and UPI service providers. It enables these institutions to implement real-time alerts, transaction delays, warnings, or even block transactions when dealing with high-risk numbers.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has already issued advisories to banks and payment service operators to integrate the FRI tool into their fraud prevention systems.

As per data submitted on the DIP, enforcement actions have already led to the freezing of 10.02 lakh bank accounts and payment wallets. Furthermore, debit and credit restrictions have been imposed on an additional 3.05 lakh accounts to prevent misuse.

Dr. Sekhar also noted that the DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) project continues to play a central role in countering cybercrime and financial fraud by monitoring the misuse of telecom resources.

With a dual focus on telecom innovation and digital security, the government is aiming to not only strengthen India’s future communications infrastructure but also safeguard citizens from evolving cyber threats.