Telecom Minister Calls for India Mobile Congress to Push Indian Tech onto Global Stage

Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India Mobile Congress must evolve with the country’s growing ambitions, aiming to take Indian technology to global markets in the next decade. He noted that the first decade of the event brought the world’s attention to India, while the coming decade should carry India’s capabilities abroad. Scindia highlighted that India’s tech journey has shifted from catching up with global developments to building its own capabilities. He pointed to broadband growth, saying the country rose from around 60 million broadband customers to one billion. He added that mobile data is now the cheapest in the world, with a gigabyte costing just Rs 8. The minister urged a move from being a standard taker to a standard‑setter in global telecom norms, citing the prime minister’s vision of sitting at the table where standards are decided. Scindia said India aims to leap from lagging behind in 4G, while the world is on 5G, to leading the future 6G rollout. He credited the production‑linked incentive (PLI) scheme for strengthening the domestic mobile‑equipment ecosystem, noting that within 22 months India joined a club of four technology‑equipment producers. Finally, he asserted that India now has the manpower, mobility and mindset to push its tech gains beyond its borders.

Context

India’s rapid digital expansion and cheap data have made it a major market for telecom firms, prompting the government to push domestic players onto the global stage and influence future technology standards.