At the 8th edition of India Mobile Congress during the International Telecommunication Union – World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (ITU-WTSA) 2024, telecom industry leaders on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bold vision for Digital India.

They appreciated the government’s support towards reforms, innovation and collaboration, and highlighted the PM’s emphasis on the need for a global framework for digital governance.

Chairman of the Reliance JIO-INFOCOMM Limited, Akash Ambani, commended PM Modi for his visionary leadership, which has catalyzed India’s remarkable digital transformation.

He said that in the third term, PM Modi has positioned the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) as a significant platform for innovation and collaboration, driving unprecedented growth in the digital sector.

He emphasized that India’s journey from ranking 155th in mobile broadband adoption to its current status demonstrates the power of synergy between government and industry. He further highlighted the inclusion of over 530 million unbanked Indians through initiatives like Jan Dhan accounts, with a significant portion being women.

Founder and Chairman of Bharti Airtel, Sunil Bharti Mittal, reflected on India’s telecom journey, emphasizing its transformative progress in telecom infrastructure and digital technologies.

He said, “the real transformation began in 2014 with Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a ‘Digital India,’ which ignited the 4G revolution. This has empowered millions, including those in our rural areas, to access smartphones and essential digital services.”

He highlighted the transformative impact of 4G technology, which has brought smartphones and digital services to millions, including those in rural areas. He underscored the government’s initiatives to boost local manufacturing through the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) program, positioning India as a manufacturing hub for telecom equipment.

Mittal announced that India is set to lead in 5G technology, with extensive rollouts planned across urban and rural regions within the next 12 to 18 months.

He also discussed the potential of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) networks.

Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla highlighted the steadfast support by the government in consistently recognizing the importance of digital connectivity and introducing several reforms over the years to drive India towards an even more connected, empowered and inclusive digital nation.

He lauded the government’s continued thrust on expanding digital infrastructure and accelerating digital adoption for people and businesses equally.

Recalling PM’s quote on MSME meaning maximum support to micro, small and medium enterprises, Birla said that they are committed to providing maximum support by promoting digital transformation to India’s small businesses making them future ready.

He laid emphasis on focus on technologies like 5G, IoT, AI and cloud services and expressed the belief that a thriving digital ecosystem can be created that empowers India’s MSMEs to drive economic growth.

Secretary General ITU

Doreen Bogdan Martin, Secretary General of ITU underlined that the world has a lot to learn from India’s accomplishments with regard to unified payments interface.

She stressed that standards build trust and that they are the engine which powers such platforms allowing them to operate at scale and providing every Indian with life-changing services through mobile device access.

She also touched upon ethical use of AI and urged to align technological progress with digital inclusion.