India's Department of Telecommunications has published rules, effective 20 January 2026, governing the use of low power and very low power wireless access systems, including wireless local area networks operating in the lower 6 GHz band (5925 - 6425 MHz).

Regulatory requirements

The rules specify the technical parameters for wireless devices that may be placed on the Indian market without a licence or frequency assignment. Manufacturers of low power indoor (LPI) and very low power outdoor (VLP) wireless devices only need to apply for equipment type approval.

LPI and VLP devices must meet the following requirements:

- built-in integrated antenna;

- use of contention-based protocols to ensure fair and efficient sharing of the spectrum;

- parameters in Table 1 must not be exceeded.

Table 1 - Emission limits for LPI and VLP devices

Operating restrictions and interference liability

Use of these devices is also prohibited:

- on oil platforms;

- in indoor environments of land vehicles, vessels and aircraft below 10,000 feet;

- for coupling or control of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles.

Where a user of any licensed system reports harmful interference caused by licence-exempt wireless devices to the authorities, the user of the device must take the necessary steps to prevent that interference.