Telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, telco chiefs discuss sector road map

Jio's Akash Ambani, Airtel's Sunil Mittal, and Vi CEO Akshaya Moondra attend meet

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday met Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani, Bharti Enterprises’ Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) CEO Akshaya Moondra to discuss ways to create an action plan for the telecom sector. The minister also met internet service providers and academicians to continue discussions on sectoral issues.

The meetings were part of the Union government's consultations with the six new advisory committees formed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to draw up a new agenda focussed on growth and development.

On Monday, Scindia had met three of the six advisory panels — satellite communications, electronics ecosystem, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The meetings attempted to make a deep dive into issues related to satcom, production linked incentive (PLI) schemes and telecom equipment.

"We have identified a rather deep agenda for all three committees. Now, the members of these committees and us will be working together. There are varied schedules for the first presentation of these committees over the next couple of weeks," Scindia said.

The DoT will be taking each individual issue at a time, delving into details, and devising an action plan with clear timelines and actionable items, so that the sector can be taken forward, he stressed.

"The telecom service providers’ special advisory committee discussed strategies to enhance service delivery and address challenges faced by telecom operators," the DoT said in a release. Among key issues discussed, futuristic & innovative areas of growth found a special focus.

Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal and SP Kocchar, director general of the Cellular Operators’ Association of India, were also present at the meet with telco chiefs. Sources said telcos shared with the minister the progress of the ongoing nationwide 5G rollout, which has covered all districts in the country.

The meeting with internet service providers highlighted the need for policy support to accelerate infrastructure rollout and enhance internet accessibility, particularly emphasizing the deployment of advanced technologies like fibre optics and 5G.

The new committees are designed to facilitate a two-way dialogue with the government on critical matters such as technology promotion, R&D, go-to-market strategies for telecom products, promoting local manufacturing, and enabling the manufacturing ecosystem, the DoT said. Establishing industry-academia linkages, sharing new ideas, and resolving policy issues are also focal areas.