India unveils open-source platform for private 5G network deployment

India’s IOS-MCN Consortium has unveiled Agartala 0.4.0, an open-source Private 5G platform validated for pilot deployments, marking a key step toward industry-ready, low-cost and secure private networks across enterprises and public-sector use cases.

The Indian Open Source for Mobile Communication Networks (IOS-MCN) Consortium has announced a new public release of its open-source software platform aimed at enabling organisations to build and operate their own Private 5G networks. The release, named Agartala 0.4.0, is designed for factories, campuses, research institutions, startups and other enterprises seeking high-performance connectivity beyond Wi-Fi and public mobile networks.

Agartala 0.4.0 represents the fourth major open-source milestone of the IOS-MCN initiative and is considered mature enough for early pilot deployments. Validation tests conducted by the consortium demonstrate end-to-end latency of under 10 milliseconds and downlink speeds of up to 600 Mbps per gNB, making the platform suitable for enterprise trials and sector-specific pilots.

Open-source platform moves toward industry validation

The IOS-MCN programme is being developed by a consortium led by IISc Bengaluru, IIT Delhi and C-DAC, with funding support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The initiative aims to create a fully indigenous, open-source Private 5G stack that can reduce deployment costs while offering secure and reliable connectivity.

A spokesperson from the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development said, “FSID’s objective is to ensure that research-led programmes translate into deployable infrastructure. IOS-MCN demonstrates how publicly funded, open-source platforms can create long-term national capability. Agartala 0.4.0 moves this effort from development to validation, enabling pilots that will enable future deployments.”

Ecosystem partners line up pilot projects

With Agartala 0.4.0, IOS-MCN is positioning itself for pilot installations beginning in the second half of 2026. Several ecosystem partners have proposed pilots across diverse sectors. Niral Networks plans an Intelligent Village pilot focused on rural and semi-urban connectivity. Coral Telecom has proposed Private 5G pilots for Indian Railways and disaster management applications for the National Disaster Management Authority.

Defence-focused pilots are also planned, with Techphosis proposing a Network-in-a-Box solution for secure and portable communications. Mashmari has outlined a Remote Learning pilot for Anganwadis in Haryana, while W4S intends to explore drone-enabled Private 5G use cases requiring low-latency connectivity.

Together, these pilots underline the platform’s readiness to transition from development to real-world validation. Agartala 0.4.0 is now publicly available on GitHub, reinforcing IOS-MCN’s commitment to open development and community-driven innovation.