THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW
DELHI, OCTOBER 8, 2026
India is moving
towards building an end-to-end telecom value chain, from manufacturing
equipment to designing technologies and shaping global rules, Union
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia said on Thursday, underlining
the country's growing ambitions in the digital technology space.
Addressing a
high-level CEO round table on "The Sovereign Inflection & The Future
of Telecom" at the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New
Delhi, Scindia said India has reached a "fundamental inflection
point" in its telecom journey after making significant progress in
coverage, affordability, penetration, inclusivity and innovation over the past
decade.
"We are the
second largest telecom market, we are the second largest mobile phone producer.
Now end to end value chain is going to be produced in India thanks to the
vision of our Prime Minister with 8-9 semiconductor fabs coming up in
India," Scindia said.
He said the next
phase of India's telecom growth would be determined by the country's ability to
participate across the entire technology ecosystem.
"And therefore
the fundamental inflection point today is going to be based on who writes the
rules, who makes the equipment, who designs innovation, who builds the
technology," the minister said.
The CEO round table
brought together senior executives from telecom service providers, network
equipment manufacturers, technology companies, digital infrastructure firms and
consulting organisations to deliberate on emerging opportunities and strategic
priorities for the sector.
Scindia said the
government and industry need to work together to shape the next phase of
India's telecom development, with the Department of Telecommunications acting
as an enabler and facilitator for the wider ecosystem.
He said India's
telecom ecosystem now extends well beyond traditional connectivity and includes
network equipment and optical fibre manufacturers, telecom and internet service
providers, applications, digital platforms and emerging technologies such as
artificial intelligence.
The collective
strength of these interconnected segments would be critical to India's digital
competitiveness and resilience, he said, stressing the need to create
technologies and digital infrastructure capable of generating wider economic
and social value.
"We have
achieved a lot in the last decade. Both in terms of coverage, penetration,
affordability, inclusivity, innovation and really providing the foundational
layer for a lot of application platforms to be innovated in our country,"
Scindia said.
The minister also
highlighted the expanding role of telecommunications as a foundational layer
for digital public infrastructure, emerging technologies, innovation and
economic growth.
The discussions at
the round table focused on the convergence of artificial intelligence, cloud
and compute, advanced connectivity, intelligent networks and next-generation
communication technologies. Participants also deliberated on strengthening
domestic capabilities, building resilient digital infrastructure and creating a
policy environment conducive to sustained investment and technological
advancement.
Telecom Secretary
Amit Agrawal and senior officials from the Department of Telecommunications
also participated in the deliberations.
The interaction
provided industry leaders an opportunity to share views on technology adoption,
investment opportunities and policy and regulatory priorities required to
support the next phase of telecom growth.
The deliberations were held under the theme "Scale Without Boundaries", the central theme of IMC 2026, and sought to translate technological innovation into scalable, resilient and globally competitive digital capabilities.
The Department of Telecommunications reiterated its commitment to continued engagement with industry, innovators and technology companies to build a robust and inclusive digital communications ecosystem and strengthen India's position as a global hub for telecom innovation and technology.
