In a significant move aimed at revolutionizing India's telecommunications and media sectors, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) and Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) have forged a powerful new strategic alliance. The two critical government bodies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to collaborate extensively on joint studies, technical contributions, and standardization activities focused on convergence and advanced broadcasting technologies.
TEC operates as the premier technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications, while BECIL is a distinguished Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) functioning under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB). This cross-ministerial partnership establishes a formal, robust framework designed to bolster national capabilities in technological innovation. More importantly, the alliance seamlessly aligns with the government's overarching flagship initiatives, particularly Digital India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India).
The newly formed partnership is heavily geared toward developing India-specific tech standards and comprehensive test frameworks. Furthermore, it will facilitate the in-depth study of international standards, enabling India to make impactful technical contributions to global standardization organizations, including ITU-T, ITU-R, and 3GPP. By exploring emerging technology trends, the collaboration seeks to ensure that India remains at the forefront of the rapidly evolving digital landscape rather than just a consumer of foreign technologies.
The MoU outlines several high-priority technological domains where TEC and BECIL will pool their institutional expertise:
- Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) and 5G Broadcast: The agencies will conduct joint studies on D2M and 5G broadcast tech, which hold the potential to deliver multimedia and television content directly to smartphones, fundamentally changing how media is consumed.
- Digital Rights Management (DRM): The partnership will develop secure DRM systems tailored for IPTV and other distribution platform service providers.
- Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB): Collaborative research will advance the next generation of digital radio and audio broadcasting.
- Subscriber and Access Management: The teams will work on enhancing Conditional Access Systems (CAS) and Subscriber Management Systems (SMS) for television channel distributors.
- Future Network Technologies: The collaboration will explore highly advanced concepts, including Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (FeMBMS), AI-enabled enhanced functions over integrated broadband cable networks, and intelligent, human-centric user interfaces designed for digital inclusion.
Beyond research and development, the alliance will serve a vital advisory role. TEC and BECIL will conduct need-based technical discussions to provide expert inputs and actionable recommendations on complex matters referred to them by the MIB, DoT, and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The MoU was officially signed at the TEC headquarters in New Delhi by Shri Devendra Singh, Deputy Director General of TEC, and Shri Ramit Lala, Deputy General Manager (Projects) at BECIL. The signing took place in the presence of Shri Syed Tausif Abbas, Sr. DDG and Head of TEC.
Ultimately, this strategic partnership is poised to accelerate India's transition into a global technology standard-setter. By fostering indigenous capabilities in convergence technologies, the TEC-BECIL collaboration will play a crucial role in securing India’s digital sovereignty and driving the future of global broadcasting.
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Below is the press release by PIB
Below is the press release by PIB
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Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL), a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), to collaborate on joint studies, technical contributions and standardization activities in the areas of Convergence and Broadcasting technologies.
The collaboration aims to strengthen national capabilities in standardization and innovation in converged and broadcasting technologies while supporting national initiatives such as Digital India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. .
The partnership will focus on the development of India-specific standards and test frameworks, study of international standards, technical contributions to global standardization bodies, and exploration of emerging technology trends in convergence and broadcasting technologies.
The MoU was signed today by Shri Devendra Singh, Deputy Director General, TEC and Shri Ramit Lala, Deputy General Manager (Projects), BECIL in presence of Shri Syed Tausif Abbas, Sr. DDG and Head, TEC at TEC, New Delhi.
This partnership creates a formal framework for TEC to work closely with BECIL to jointly undertake studies, technical contributions and research activities in advanced broadcasting and convergence technologies.
Key Areas of Collaboration:
- Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) and 5G Broadcast: Joint studies and technical contributions in Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) and 5G Broadcast technologies.
- Digital Rights Management (DRM): Joint studies and technical contributions in Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems for IPTV and other distribution platform service providers.
- Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB): Collaborative studies on Digital Sound Broadcasting technologies.
- Conditional Access System (CAS) and Subscriber Management System (SMS): Joint studies and technical contributions in CAS & SMS for distributors of television channel.
- Future Broadcast and Network Technologies: Exploration of future broadcast and network technologies including multimedia systems and services such as Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (FeMBMS), application accessibility for digital inclusion, human factors for intelligent user interfaces for broadcasting services, and AI-enabled enhanced functions over integrated broadband cable networks.
- Need-based technical discussions on matters referred by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and TRAI, with the objective of providing expert inputs and recommendations.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen India's participation in international standardization activities through joint technical studies and contributions to global standards development organizations, including ITU-T, ITU-R and 3GPP. It will also support the development of India-specific standards and indigenous technological capabilities in convergence and broadcasting technologies, contributing to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India.
About TEC
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) is the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India. TEC is responsible for formulating technical standards, specifications and fundamental technical plans for telecommunications, and issues Standards for Generic Requirements (GRs), Interface Requirements (IRs) and Service Requirements (SRs) to ensure interoperability, quality and compliance of telecom equipment and services. It also provides technical support to DoT and technical advice to TRAI, coordinates with C-DOT on technological developments, and represents India in international standardization forums such as ITU, APT and ETSI, contributing to the development of global telecom standards.
About BECIL
Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) is a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. Established in 1995, BECIL provides consultancy services and turnkey solutions across broadcasting, information and communication technology, electronic surveillance, digital media, cybersecurity, smart city projects and critical information infrastructure. The company has expanded beyond traditional broadcast engineering to deliver end-to-end solutions covering consultancy, engineering, procurement, project management, operation and maintenance, research and development, and manpower services. Leveraging its extensive technical expertise and nationwide presence, BECIL supports key national initiatives including Digital India, Smart City and Make in India while delivering technology solutions across broadcasting and allied sectors.
