Opportunities for Indian firms in execution of Europe corridor: Vaishnaw

The agreement is for developing trusted, resilient, and secure technology together for 6G and also collaborating in finalising the 6G standards, the minister said

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union minister of railways, communications, and electronics & information technology, in a telephonic conversation with Surajeet Das Gupta discusses the major developments during the G20 Summit, including the agreement on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bharat 6G Alliance and Next G Alliance, besides issues concerning public digital infrastructure. Edited excerpts:

One of the big announcements during the G20 Summit was the announcement of the mega economic corridor that will link India with, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and the European Union via railway and shipping lines. As the link between India and the UAE will be through water, will this project provide opportunities to Indian companies, both government and private?

The corridor will help substantially reduce the (goods transit) time between India and Europe. It will offer opportunities for Indian companies in both execution and providing technology for this ambitious project. Of course, a lot of work has to be done and one expects funding will come from multilateral agencies, besides others.

First, a detailed project report has to be worked out and the alignment of the corridor has to be fixed. Then separate country-to-country agreements have to be signed, and common technology standards, such as a common gauge across the corridor for railways, have to be finalised.     

What is the significance of the MoU signed between Bharat 6G Alliance and the US-led Next G Alliance?

The agreement is for developing trusted, resilient, and secure technology together for 6G and also collaborating in finalising the 6G standards. A lot of background discussions have gone into it. From the Indian side, the alliance will be represented by academia, research institutes, and industry, and the government will be the fulcrum. In the US, too, industry and scientific bodies will be involved.

How will this help sell the Made-in-India telecom stack to the world?

The MoU recognises the Made-in-India 4G and 5G virtualised telecom stack will now be also on the open radio access network platform. The US has come out with a “rip and replace” policy (for tearing out telecom equipment made by Chinese companies) so that it can use telecom stack from trusted sources. We have been talking to them about considering India for participation in that opportunity. The MoU now acknowledges this, and opens a new big opportunity.

What does the One Future Alliance announced in the G20 agreement mean for India?

It is a recognition of the value of the India digital public infrastructure stack and its relevance to developed, as well as developing countries. The aim would be to go for synchronised development, and set up standards and systems and a common framework. Details and funding will evolve after more discussions.