India's Digital Future: Insights from Leading Telecom Executives at India Mobile Congress 2024

At the India Mobile Congress 2024, telecom leaders emphasized India's rapid digital evolution, highlighting Akash Ambani's call for data center policy acceleration and Sunil Mittal's vision for Satcom services. Kumarmangalam Birla spotlighted MSME growth via Vodafone-Idea. Reliance on 5G and government support were underscored by all.

At the India Mobile Congress 2024, Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani urged the government to hasten the 2020 draft of the data center policy, emphasizing the need for Indian data to remain within the nation. He reiterated that local companies are equipped to establish data centers, asserting the policy's crucial role. He noted India's technological progress, transitioning from slow 2G speeds to efficient 5G networks, and expressed optimism about the country's 6G potential, highlighting the widespread digital revolution.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, commended India's reclaiming of its manufacturing prowess over the past decade. He foresees 5G connectivity across all parts of the nation within 12 to 18 months. Mittal praised customer support for efforts to reduce spam communications and emphasized ongoing collaborations with industry for secure services. He detailed the potential of upcoming Satcom services, promising global connectivity even in isolated or challenging terrains.

Kumarmangalam Birla, Chairperson of the Aditya Birla Group, lauded his company's contributions to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and their role in driving economic growth, with over 160,000 MSMEs using Vodafone-Idea platforms. He pointed out the company's progress with government backing through a heavily oversubscribed Rs 18,000 crore FPO and strategic partnerships with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung.

(With inputs from agencies.)