India Has Emerged As The Digital Flagbearer Of The World: Scindia Scindia stated that India's telecom revolution is built on four Ds: democracy, demography, digital-first, and delivery.
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India has transitioned into the digital flagbearer of the world from being a technology-taker, Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Wednesday, citing increasing broadband penetration and affordable data prices.
Addressing the opening ceremony at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi, Scindia stated that India's telecom revolution is built on four Ds: democracy, demography, digital-first, and delivery.
He also lauded the government's efforts to democratise telecom access in the country, highlighting that 1GB of data now costs nearly INR 9, down from INR 287 for the same in 2014. He also said that 99% of districts in India are now connected with 5G, the fifth generation of cellular network technology.
"We have 365 million 5G subscribers, therefore, this warrants that the scale is on India's side," he said.
Scindia emphasized India's "digital-first" approach by citing the success of the "JAM" trinity. This trinity essentially leverages Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhar identification, and mobile connectivity to directly deliver government schemes and benefits to people, effectively eliminating middlemen and preventing the leakage.
"India's DPI [Digital Public Infrastructure] has become the global benchmark for inclusion and innovation. And it has turned services into rights, and made governance instantaneous. Today, 20 countries across the globe are in active discussion to adopt India's DPI model," he added.
On delivery, the minister reiterated the Indian Prime Minister's call for 100% saturation in providing infrastructure such as towers, antennas, fibers, and Bharatnet.
"And finally, each of these Ds connect with each other - affordable data, democracy meets the young and vibrant population. Demography, together they demand a better platform. Digital-first, and then these platforms matter when they reach every single home…," he said.
Scindia also spoke about what he described as a "DSS revolution" which refers to Designing in India, Solving for India, and Scaling from India.
The 2025 edition of the India Mobile Congress kicks off on Wednesday at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. The four-day long event will see participation from several top telecom and technology companies, including Airtel, Reliance Jio, Ericsson, and Samsung among others.