HFCL joins IIT Delhi-led hollow-core fibre project

HFCL Limited has joined a consortium for a Department of Telecommunications (DoT)-funded research project led by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi to advance hollow-core fibre (HCF) technology for next-generation communication networks.

The project focuses on developing new optical fibre technologies relevant to future 6G and quantum communication systems. As a consortium partner, HFCL will provide industry expertise, manufacturing inputs and application-level insights to support the translation of research into practical deployment.

Hollow-core fibre is an emerging optical technology designed to reduce transmission latency and improve signal performance compared with conventional solid-core fibre. Internationally, it is being explored for high-capacity, long-haul and latency-sensitive applications, including advanced data centres and next-generation telecommunications infrastructure.

As AI workloads expand, hyperscale computing demand increases and networks evolve towards 6G, the need for ultra-low-latency optical infrastructure is expected to grow. The DoT-supported initiative aims to strengthen India’s domestic capabilities in this strategically important area. Hollow-core fibre also has the potential to reduce energy consumption and latency in data transmission.

HFCL operates an optical fibre manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, along with optical fibre cable facilities in Hyderabad, Goa and Chennai. The company’s NABL-accredited laboratories and integrated manufacturing operations support validation, pilot-scale development and production.

Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director of HFCL, said the consortium would help align advanced research in hollow-core fibre technology with practical network requirements as the telecom sector moves towards 6G, AI-driven infrastructure and ultra-low-latency applications. He added that collaboration between academia and industry is important for strengthening domestic technological capabilities.

Professor Deepak Jain, Principal Investigator at IIT Delhi, said hollow-core fibre represents a significant area of research in optical science and communication engineering, particularly in the context of 6G, quantum communication and latency-sensitive applications. He noted that the project seeks to advance both fundamental research and system-level understanding of hollow-core fibre technologies within India, and that industry participation would provide insights into scalability, manufacturability and deployment considerations.

He added that structured collaboration between academia and industry is important for accelerating innovation while aligning research with national telecommunications priorities.