New Delhi, Oct 27
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged telecom and technology companies to create new domains that can be followed by other countries in future.
Citing the example of UPI, a leading digital payments system, he said, “India has the power of a young demography and vibrant democracy. Today, when we are realising the goal of becoming a developed India, the transition of moving forward as thought leaders can bring revolutionary changes in the entire sector.”
Speaking at the inaugural session of the India Mobile Congress 2023 (IMC 2023), Modi urged the members of the Mobile Congress, especially young members, to move forward in this direction.
The Prime Minister also lamented the missed opportunities in adoption of new technologies in the past. He mentioned India’s IT sector that had showcased its talent in already-developed technologies. “This period of the 21st century is the time of India’s Thought Leadership,” he said.
Underling the fast pace of technology, Modi said, “The future is here and now” and mentioned the fields of 6G, artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, semiconductors, the drone or space sector, deep sea and green tech, among other sectors.
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“The future is going to be entirely different and it is a matter of happiness that our young generation is leading the tech revolution … India has moved from the 5G roll-out stage to the 5G reach-out stage,” he said, adding that within a year of 5G roll-out, there are four-lakh 5G base stations, which cover more than 97 per cent of the cities and 80 per cent of the population.
He added that India had moved from the 118th position to the 43rd position in terms of broadband speed and the country is not only expanding its 5G network, but also laying emphasis on becoming a leader in 6G.
Pointing out the scam that took place during 2G, the Prime Minister said the 4G roll-out, which happened during the present government’s tenure, is free from blemishes. He also expressed confidence that India will take the lead with 6G technology.
“We believe in the power of democratisation. The benefit of development should reach every section and region, everyone should benefit from the resources in India, everyone should have a life of dignity and the benefit of technology should reach everyone. We are working rapidly in this direction,” he said.
Touching upon the importance of cybersecurity and network safety that comes as a responsibility with so many technologies, Modi recalled the discussion on ‘Global Threats of Cyber Security’ at the G20 Summit.
“Noting that self-reliance in the entire manufacturing value chain is extremely important for cyber security … it becomes easier to maintain security when everything in the value chain belongs to the national domain, be it hardware, software or connectivity,” Modi said, adding that there is a need to carry out discussions at the IMC about keeping the world’s democratic societies safe.
Noting the lack of vision when it came to electronics manufacturing during previous governments, Modi said India today exports about Rs 2 lakh crore worth of electronics manufactured in the country.
“In 2014, we were mobile importers, but today we are a mobile exporter – the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world…Google has recently announced manufacture of Pixel phones in India. Samsung Fold 5 and Apple iPhone 15 are already being manufactured here,” he added.
