Business leaders and telecom industry executives at the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) highlighted India’s digital transformation and its significant contribution to the country’s economic growth.
Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio, credited Prime Minister Modi for transforming the India Mobile Congress into a global platform for innovation and collaboration. He highlighted India’s evolution from struggling with 2G networks to becoming the world’s largest data market. Ambani remarked on the country’s rapid leap from 155th place in mobile broadband adoption, attributing this to a strong partnership between the government and the telecom industry. He also noted that over 530 million previously unbanked Indians, many of them women, now have access to financial services through initiatives like Jan Dhan accounts. Looking toward the future, Ambani emphasized artificial intelligence (AI) as a crucial element in India’s development by 2047, advocating for updates to the data center policy to retain data within the country, which would help strengthen the AI ecosystem.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Airtel, reflected on India’s progress in the telecom sector, crediting much of the advancement to Modi’s Digital India initiative. He identified the introduction of 4G in 2014 as a major turning point, enabling millions, including those in rural areas, to access digital services. Mittal also highlighted the government’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program, aimed at promoting local manufacturing and reducing dependency on imports. He revealed that India is on track to lead in 5G technology, with comprehensive rollouts planned across urban and rural areas within the next 12 to 18 months. Mittal further pointed out the potential of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) networks to bridge connectivity gaps in remote areas, ensuring high-speed internet access for all.
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, praised the government’s efforts to enhance digital connectivity. He emphasized his commitment to supporting small businesses and fostering digital transformation to equip them for future challenges. Birla noted the impact of technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and cloud services in accelerating economic growth, particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He also mentioned the milestone of 100 million telemedicine consultations in India and the telecom sector’s progress in tackling spam and fraud.
Doreen Bogdan Martin, Secretary General of the ITU, acknowledged the strong ties between the ITU and India, recalling a recent discussion with Prime Minister Modi during the inauguration of the ITU Area Office and Innovation Center. She referenced the Pact of the Future, adopted at the United Nations’ recent meeting in New York, which aims to shape the digital future. Martin praised India’s ambition to play a leading role in global digital governance and stressed the importance of establishing standards that build trust, scale platforms, and provide transformative services through mobile technology. She also called for ethical AI use and collective efforts to promote digital inclusion worldwide.