Tech Mahindra partners Microsoft to help telecom operators monetise 5G with AI-powered Network Digital Twin solution

Tech Mahindra has partnered with Microsoft to launch an AI-powered Network Digital Twin solution aimed at helping telecom operators modernise network operations, improve service performance, and unlock new revenue opportunities from advanced 5G services.

The offering combines Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Fabric and Azure Digital Twins with Tech Mahindra's telecom engineering capabilities to create a real-time, AI-ready data platform. Designed for medium and large telecom operators managing complex multi-vendor networks, the solution leverages real-time network telemetry, predictive analytics and agentic AI to automate network operations, improve service assurance and support enterprise-focused offerings such as network slicing and edge orchestration.

Targets operational efficiency and 5G monetisation

The companies said the platform enables telecom operators to shift from conventional network simulation to cloud-scale digital twins capable of real-time reasoning, predictive modelling and autonomous decision-making. By integrating Microsoft Foundry, Fabric IQ and agentic AI frameworks, the solution supports closed-loop orchestration across network operations, reducing dependence on reactive operational models.

The platform is also expected to help operators improve asset utilisation, optimise infrastructure investments and reduce operational overheads by enabling data-driven decision-making across the network lifecycle. In addition, it offers enhanced service assurance and risk prediction capabilities, allowing telecom companies to deliver SLA-based enterprise services while accelerating monetisation of next-generation 5G networks.

Amol Phadke, Chief Transformation Officer at Tech Mahindra, said telecom operators are facing mounting pressure to manage increasingly complex networks while extracting greater business value from their infrastructure.

"As telecom networks evolve to support increasingly sophisticated services and enterprise use cases, operators are under pressure to manage growing operational complexity while unlocking new sources of value from their infrastructure," Phadke said.

He noted that many operators continue to struggle with reactive operating models, rising costs and limited visibility into service performance, which constrain scalability and delay monetisation of advanced 5G capabilities.

"Through our integration with Microsoft, we are combining digital twin technology, unified data intelligence and agentic AI to help operators move toward autonomous network operations, improve service assurance and create new opportunities for revenue growth through AI-driven network innovation," he added.

Strengthens AI-led telecom offerings

Alessandra Antonelli, Senior Global Director, Strategy at Microsoft, said the collaboration brings real-time intelligence to complex telecom environments by combining Microsoft's cloud, AI and data platforms with Tech Mahindra's telecom expertise.

She said the solution enables operators to move beyond passive monitoring towards intelligent decision-making, allowing AI systems to reason, simulate and act across live network environments in real time.

The partnership also strengthens Tech Mahindra's AI-led telecom portfolio while creating opportunities for joint go-to-market initiatives and deeper customer engagement. Tech Mahindra currently employs over 147,000 professionals across 90+ countries and serves more than 1,100 clients globally.