Indigenous technology manufacturing will be the key driver for India's economic growth, thereby boosting the country's global stature in the telecommunications sector, Union Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia said here on Friday.
The Minister of Communication and Development of North Eastern Region visited the 5G Testbed project at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and interacted with the students and researchers.
The 5G testbed project at the IIT Madras, funded by the Department of Telecommunication, involves eight research and development institutes encouraging start-ups and the industry to take an early lead in the 5G space.
The 5G infrastructure including — the hardware and software — has been developed at IIT Madras. It is a state-of-the-art system that provides a base for startups and smaller companies to build their 5G products.
"My students, the youth of our country are at the forefront of India's technological and economic transformation. Initiatives like the indigenous 5G Testproject here at IIT Madras are not only a testament to India's growing innovation capabilities but is also a vital step towards becoming the third-largest economy in the world," Scindia said at the event.
"Indigenous technology manufacturing will be the key driver to India's economic growth, creating employment opportunities, fostering innovation and boosting our global stature in critical sectors like telecommunications," the minister observed.
The Testbed is available to the industry, academia, research institutions and government bodies besides for startups, product development and capacity building activities.
Scindia later interacted with the researchers from the Center of Excellence in Wireless Technology, IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation and IIT-Madras incubated startups BigCat and NMS, an official release said here.
"Higher educational institutions have dedicated themselves to Viskit Bharat by 2047 by exploring and developing new age technologies. The 5G project is one such effort," IIT Madras Director, Professor V Kamakoti said.
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