New Delhi (Agency): In a remarkable review of India’s progress in the telecom sector, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, compared the industry’s past turmoil with its current high-achieving status. He claimed that there has been a substantial transformation from the “lost decade under the UPA to the India Techade under the NDA regime” over the past 9-10 years.
During the past, the minister pointed out, the focus was primarily on telecom scams such as the infamous 2G scam. One of India’s major telecom companies, BSNL, declined significantly, from being a $6 billion company in 2004 to a loss-making entity by 2014.
Chandrasekhar also criticized the high dependency on imported equipment and devices during this period, with almost 100 percent of equipment imported. The contrast to today is striking. “Today 100 percent of the devices are made/assembled in India and exports to other countries have also increased exponentially,” the minister informed.
Looking at the present, Chandrasekhar emphasized the significant improvements made. He noted that every rupee gained from the auction of spectrum now benefits the public by being used for expanded government social spending schemes.
Furthermore, the quality of networks has vastly improved, with telecom operators encouraged to invest more in base stations and capacities. This investment has resulted in India becoming the second fastest country globally to roll out a 5G network, with over 700 districts already benefiting from 5G coverage.
An impressive 500,000 5G base stations have been established, enhancing the reach of this cutting-edge technology. “About 83 crore Indians are connected to the Internet and we are the world’s largest connected country and largest connected democracy. By 2025-26, we anticipate that 120 crore Indians will be connected to the Internet,” Chandrasekhar revealed.
The minister emphasized the vital role of the telecom sector in India’s economic growth. He stated that it is contributing significantly to the expansion of the digital economy, propelling India towards achieving its ambitious goal of becoming a trillion dollar economy by 2026.
