Rakuten Symphony and BSNL Partner for 5G Pilot, Testing Indian-Made Telecom Gear

Rakuten Symphony, a subsidiary of Japan’s Rakuten Group, is set to conduct a 5G PoC with state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as part of its ongoing collaboration with Indian technology companies, as per the Moneycontrol reports.

The firm has already partnered with Tejas Networks for radio and core hardware and is considering several other Indian vendors for potential use in Japan once they meet the nation’s strict quality standards.

Strengthening India Partnerships

“We're working with Tejas and have also met with BSNL. We're planning to do a 5G PoC with BSNL soon,” said Sharad Sriwastawa, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Rakuten Mobile and President of Rakuten Symphony. Sriwastawa praised India’s efforts to develop indigenous 4G and 5G technologies, calling the government’s Make in India initiative “absolutely the right move.”

As part of its alliance with Tejas Networks, Rakuten Symphony showcased a live 5G setup at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, featuring Tejas’ 32TR radio unit and core network integrated with Rakuten’s distributed and central unit software. “We've already made multiple live calls using that setup,” Sriwastawa added.

India’s Growing Role in Global Telecom

Rakuten Symphony employs about 3,000 people in India across Indore, Bengaluru, and other cities, focusing on R&D, automation, and cloud technologies. Another 2,000 employees at the Rakuten India support group-wide functions.

Rakuten’s Open RAN network in Japan, with around 400,000 cells and 100,000 macro sites, is regarded as one of the world’s most advanced. The company is now taking its Open RAN expertise global, supporting deployments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Read More: Government Directs BSNL to Improve Service Quality and to Resolve Power Issues!

Conclusion

The senior management says this step is aligned with the Make in India initiative. Rakuten Symphony also plans to expand its India partnerships into defence-focused cloud solutions, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to the country’s innovation ecosystem.

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