Jio and TM Forum open first Innovation Hub in Mumbai with focus Gen AI and LLM

TM Forum and Jio held the opening ceremony for the first TM Forum Innovation Hub in Mumbai, India. This Innovation Hub is the first of its kind for the industry and will focus on accelerating the development of Generative AI (Gen AI), Large Language Models (LLM), and Open Digital Architecture to benefit the entire telecom industry.
Leaders from both organisations and representatives from Accenture, Deutsche Telekom, Google Cloud, Orange, Telenor, and Vodafone attended the ceremony at the Reliance Corporate IT Park in Navi Mumbai.Hybrid teams, consisting of talent from across the telecom and tech industry, will collaborate to deliver breakthrough thinking and solutions for the industry’s most pressing challenges.
Mumbai was chosen as the location for the first TM Forum Innovation Hub because it is the epicentre of global software development talent. The Innovation Hub’s opening builds on the TM Forum’s long-standing commitment to India, where more than 37,000 active Forum member professionals are based.
The Innovation Hub’s first focus areas are the application of Generative AI and LLM to priority use cases for telcos. This includes developing an architecture blueprint to simplify responsible use of Generative AI for brownfield telecoms technology landscapes, including the related challenges of security, privacy, accuracy, performance, and scalability.
A second focus area will accelerate the development and adoption of TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA). ODA underpins the creation of modular, componentized, and reusable cloud-native software to replace traditional BSS and OSS. The objectives include creating Reference Implementation(s) of the ODA Canvas and components, as well as migration patterns and innovative approaches to simplify migration from legacy software to ODA-compliant, cloud-native components.
The Innovation Hub program was introduced two months ago at the annual DTW – Ignite conference in Copenhagen by the TM Forum. Founding members, which include Accenture, Deutsche Telekom, Google Cloud, Orange, Reliance Jio, Telenor, and Vodafone, are contributing a range of expertise and resources to the hub, including experts, physical space, technology capabilities, and professional services. The first Innovation Hub teams will be made up of staff from these organizations working both physically and virtually.
The primary goal of the Innovation Hub projects is to benefit the entire TM Forum membership and the industry as a whole by providing a new platform for experts to collaborate quickly and solve difficult problems. These projects will test and improve TM Forum standards, speed up asset development, and industrialize concepts explored in the Catalyst program.
The pilot phase of the Innovation Hub program is expected to end in March 2024, with a third pilot project starting shortly. TM Forum Members will be invited to apply to join an existing Innovation Hub project or propose a new one in 2024. Member companies will need to bring distinct expertise required by the project, and meet the minimum dedicated resource commitment, to be considered for joining a project.
“The TM Forum Innovation Hub is about delivering real-world solutions that will change our industry and there is no better way than to lean on talent from across the industry to solve our existing challenges as well as finding better ways to overcome future obstacles. We are delighted to see the first innovation hub open on our Mumbai campus as I believe Mumbai is the perfect location to foster the innovation needed. This is a really exciting time for Jio, TM Forum and the wider telecoms industry and we are honoured to be at the heart of this project,” said Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio.
“Rapid, open collaboration is today more important for our industry’s future than ever before. The TM Forum Innovation Hub will prove hugely beneficial as our members explore new technologies, more radical approaches to transform their organizations and strengthen their muscles. We’re delighted to be collaborating closely with Jio and all the founding members on this first Innovation Hub in Mumbai and look forward to seeing the first outcomes from the hub’s pilot projects,” said Dr. Steffen Roehn, TM Forum Chair and Partner at Bain & Company.
“I’m thrilled to see work begin at the first ever TM Forum Innovation Hub here in Navi Mumbai. Our vision is to bring together our industry’s best talent in a neutral, entrepreneurial environment to rapidly deliver breakthrough thinking and answers to the industry’s most pressing challenges. The first projects reflect two of the most important areas for rapid innovation: the responsible and effective use of generative AI, and accelerating the pathways to an Open Digital Architecture to drive growth. Our sincere thanks to all of our Innovation Hub founding members – and in particular Jio, who have given our first Hub a home,” said Nik Willetts, CEO of TM Forum.