My colleague in cabinet Jyotiraditya Scindia ji, Minister of State Chandra Shekhar Pemmasani ji, representatives from various states, our guests from abroad, all the dignitaries associated with the telecom sector, my young friends from various colleges present here, ladies and gentlemen!
I welcome all of you guests to this special edition of the India Mobile Congress. Right now, many of our startups have given their presentations on many important topics. Seeing presentations on key topics like Financial Fraud Prevention, Quantum Communication, 6G, Optical Communication, Semiconductors, and more, gives me the confidence that India's technological future is in capable hands. I wish you all the best for this event and for all your new initiatives.
Friends,
This event of IMC is no longer limited to just Mobile or Telecom. In just a few years, this IMC event has become Asia's largest digital technology forum.
Friends,
How was this success story of IMC written? Who drove it?
Friends,
This success story has been written by India's Tech Savvy Mindset, it has been led by our youth, India's talent, it has been given momentum by our innovators, our startups. This has been possible because the government stands firmly behind the country's talent and capabilities. Through schemes like the Telecom Technology Development Fund and the Digital Communications Innovations Square, we are providing funding to our startups. The government is funding test beds for technologies like 5G, 6G, Advanced Optical Communications, and Tera-Hertz, so that our startups can build their products. We are facilitating partnerships between startups and premier research institutes in the country. Today, with government support, Indian industry, startups, and academia are working together in many areas. Whether it's developing and scaling indigenous technologies, creating intellectual property through R&D, or contributing to the development of global standards, India is progressing in every dimension. It is the result of these efforts that today India has emerged as an effective platform.
Friends,
India Mobile Congress and India's success in the telecom sector reflects the strength of the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. You remember, when I talked about Make in India, how some people used to make fun of it. People living in doubt used to say that how will India make technologically advanced things? Because, in their times, it took several decades for new technology to reach India. The country gave a befitting reply. The country which once struggled with 2G, today 5G has reached almost every district of the same country. Our electronics production has increased six times compared to 2014. Mobile Phone Manufacturing has grown by Twenty-Eight Times, and exports by One Hundred Twenty-Seven Times. In the last decade, the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Sector has created millions of direct jobs. Recently, data from a big smartphone company has come out. Today, 45 Indian companies are linked to the supply chain of that one big company. Due to this, about three and a half lakh jobs have been created in the country. And this is not just the figure of one company. Today, many companies in the country are manufacturing on a large scale. If we add indirect opportunities to this, then we can imagine how big this number of employment becomes.
Friends,
Just a few days ago, India launched its Made in India 4G stack. This is a major swadeshi achievement for the country. Now India has joined the list of only five countries in the world that have this capability. This is a big step for the country towards digital self-reliance, towards technological independence. Through indigenous 4G and 5G stack, we will not only be able to ensure seamless connectivity but will also be able to provide fast internet and reliable services to the countrymen. For this very purpose, on the day we launched our Made in India 4G stack, nearly 1 lakh 4G towers were also activated simultaneously across the country. Some countries in the world find it astonishing when we talk about 1 lakh towers; these figures seem huge to people. Due to this, more than 2 crore people have simultaneously become a part of the digital movement of the country. There were many remote areas that had lagged behind in digital connectivity. Now internet connectivity has reached all such areas.
Friends,
India's Made in India 4G stack has another unique feature. Our 4G stack is also export ready. This means it will also serve as a medium for India's business outreach. This will also help in achieving India 2030, i.e., ‘India 6G Vision’.
Friends,
India's technology revolution has progressed rapidly in the past 10 years. And to match this speed and scale, the need for a strong legal and modern policy foundation has long been felt. We enacted the Telecommunications Act to achieve this. This single law replaced both the Indian Telegraph Act and the Indian Wireless Telegraph Act. These laws were made at a time when people like you and me sitting here were not even born. And so, at the policy level, there was a need to create a new system in line with a 21st-century approach, and that's exactly what we have done. This new law acts as a facilitator, not a regulator. Approvals have become easier, and right-of-way permissions are being granted more quickly. Its results are also visible. Fiber and tower networks are expanding rapidly. This has increased the ease of doing business, investments are being encouraged, and industries have been facilitated in long-term planning.
Friends,
Today we are giving equal priority to cyber security in the country. Laws against cyber frauds have been tightened, and accountability has also been increased. And the mechanism of Grievance Redressal has also been improved. Both the industry and consumers are getting huge benefits from this.
Friends,
Today, the entire world is recognizing India's potential. We have the second largest telecom market in the world. The second-largest 5G market is here. And along with the market, we also have manpower, mobility and mindset. And when it comes to manpower, India has both scale and skill together. Today India has the largest youth population in the world, and this generation is being skilled on a very large scale. Today India is the country with the fastest growing developer population in the world.
Friends,
Today in India, the cost of one GB of wireless data is less than the price of a cup of tea, I have a habit of giving the example of tea. In Per User Data Consumption, we are among the leading countries in the world. This means that digital connectivity is no longer a privilege or a luxury in India. This is an integral part of the life of Indians.
Friends,
India also appears to be at the forefront of the mindset for fostering industry and investment. India's democratic setup, welcoming approach of the government and ease of doing business policies have made India known as an investor-friendly destination. Our success in digital public infrastructure is a testament to how the government is committed to a digital-first mindset. That's why I say with full confidence - This is the best time to invest, innovate and make in India! From Manufacturing to Semiconductors, Mobiles to Electronics and Startups, in every field, India has a lot of potential and a lot of energy.
Friends,
Just a few weeks ago, on 15th August, I announced from the Red Fort that this year is the year of big changes, big reforms. We are accelerating the pace of reforms, and therefore, the responsibility of our industry and our innovators is also increasing. And our startups and our young innovators have a big role to play in this. With their speed and risk-taking abilities, startups are creating new paths and new opportunities. And that's why I am happy to see that IMC has also invited more than 500 startups this year, giving them the opportunity to connect with investors and global mentors.
Friends,
The role of our established players is continuously increasing in the growth of this sector. These players provide stability, scale and direction to take the country's economy forward. They have research and development capabilities. And that's why, we will be powered by both the speed of startups and the scale of established players.
Friends,
There are many topics related to our industry that require collaboration between young startups, our academia, research institutes, the research community, and policymakers. If a platform like IMC is useful in initiating such dialogue, perhaps our benefits will increase manifold.
Friends,
We have to see where the disruptions are occurring in the global supply chain. Wherever there are global bottlenecks in mobile, telecom, electronics, and the entire technology ecosystem, India has an opportunity to provide solutions to the world. For example, we recognized that semiconductor manufacturing capacity was limited to a few countries, and the entire world was seeking diversification. Today, India has taken significant steps in this direction. Work is underway on 10 semiconductor manufacturing units in India.
Friends,
In electronics manufacturing, global companies are looking for trusted partners that deliver both scale and reliability. The world also wants reliable partners for the design and manufacturing of telecom network equipment. Can't Indian companies become reliable global suppliers and design partners?
Friends,
Mobile manufacturing, from chipsets and batteries to displays and sensors, requires more of this work to be done within the country. The world is generating more data than ever before. Therefore, issues like storage, security, and sovereignty will become increasingly important. By working on data centers and cloud infrastructure, India can become a global data hub.
Friends,
I hope that in the coming sessions, we will move forward with this approach and this target. Once again, I extend my best wishes to all of you for this entire IMC program. Thank you very much to all of you.
Thank you.
