The 5G Use Case Lab under the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), Punjab Engineering College, organised the 5G and Beyond Conclave 2026 in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. The conclave was organised on the theme “Indigenous 5G Use Cases for Addressing National Technology Gaps”, underscoring India’s commitment to developing home-grown, secure, and scalable telecom solutions.
The conclave was graced by Sh. Radhacharan Shakya, Addl. DGT, DoT (LSA, Haryana) as the Chief Guest, and Shri Sunil, President, Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), President, BES, and Vice President, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, as the Guest of Honour. The event was presided over by Director PEC Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia, along with Prof. Arun Kumar, Head, ECE, and Prof. Simranjit Singh, Coordinator of the Conclave.
Prof. Simranjit Singh, Coordinator of the Conclave, formally welcomed the gathering and presented a comprehensive overview of the objectives and structure of the conclave. He highlighted the remarkable achievement of PEC’s 5G Use Case Lab, which was awarded by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the top 100 5G Use Case Labs in the country and has recently secured the first position at the national level. He emphasised the lab’s role in bridging the gap between research, innovation, and real-world deployment.
Prof. Arun Kumar, Head of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, elaborated on the academic and research strengths of the department. He spoke about the advanced infrastructure, faculty expertise, and industry-driven research initiatives, with special reference to the Semiconductor Research Centre and the state-of-the-art 5G Use Case Lab facilities at PEC. He underlined the department’s focus on nurturing skilled manpower aligned with future telecom and semiconductor needs.
Welcoming the dignitaries, Director Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia reflected on the illustrious 104-year legacy of PEC, tracing its journey from producing the country’s first batch of aerospace engineers to nurturing globally renowned alumni across academia, industry, and governance. He appreciated the efforts of the organising team and reiterated PEC’s commitment to innovation-led education, research excellence, and nation-building through technology.
Addressing the audience as Guest of Honour, Shri Sunil spoke in depth on the relevance of the conclave theme, describing 5G as a dynamic and transformative platform. He stressed the importance of solving Indian problems with Indian solutions, particularly in areas such as rural connectivity, affordability, mobility, public service infrastructure, spectrum readiness, fibre deployment, security, trust, and skill development. He remarked that while connectivity forms the backbone of digital growth, the integration of AI holds immense potential to accelerate inclusive and secure development.
In his keynote address, Chief Guest Sh. Radhacharan Shakya highlighted the critical need to convert knowledge into deployable products for national impact. He lauded PEC for its rich heritage, technical competence, and vibrant innovation ecosystem. Appreciating the talent and skill base of the institute, he encouraged academia, industry, and government to work in close synergy to strengthen India’s leadership in 5G and future 6G technologies.
The conclave featured nine technical sessions and panel discussions on themes including Sovereign AI and 6G as Strategic Infrastructure for the 21st Century, AI as Tool and Traffic, Path of 5G/6G, Beyond 5G and the Road to 6G, and Real-World Insights. Eminent panelists included Mr. Sandeep Sharma (VP, Emerging Technologies, Tech Mahindra; Vice Chair, 6G Use Cases WG, Bharat 6G Alliance), Mr. Ravinder Kumar (DDG Technology, DoT LSA Punjab), Mr. Sanjay Kumar (CGM, Emerging Technologies, TCIL), Mr. Diwakar Pathak (SPM, Data & AI and IT Security, Ericsson), Mr. Maninder Nanda (MD, Aerial Telecom Solutions Pvt. Ltd.), and Dr. Mukesh Jawariya (Principal Scientist, CSIR, New Delhi). The sessions were moderated by Prof. Simranjit Singh and Dr. Jaskirat Kaur.
Director Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia served as the Patron of the conclave, with Prof. Arun Kumar as Chairperson and Prof. Simranjit Singh as Coordinator. As part of the conclave activities, a technical workshop titled “5G and Beyond: Understanding the Technology—Facts, Fiction, Field Reality and Entrepreneurial Opportunities” was also organised on 22nd February, 2026, further enriching the discourse with hands-on and entrepreneurial perspectives.
