The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) successfully concluded its series of networking events under the Sangam-Digital Twin initiative with the final event held at T-Hub, Hyderabad on July 10-11, 2024. This marks the culmination of a collaborative effort aimed at revolutionizing infrastructure planning through innovative digital solutions.
The Sangam Networking Events, hosted at prestigious institutions including IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, PES University Bangalore, and T-Hub Hyderabad, brought together more than 400 participants from leading companies, academia, and government sectors. These events focused on developing comprehensive blueprints for Digital Twin-enabled solutions that leverage diverse data sources to address various societal challenges.
Each event featured keynote addresses by distinguished speakers who emphasized the importance of data-driven solutions in tackling real-world problems. Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of Telecommunications, highlighted the initiative's goal to develop viable projects and secure funding to create a national-level infrastructure planning tool during the inaugural event at Delhi.
At the final event in Hyderabad, Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary of ITE&C, Telangana Government, underscored the necessity for industry collaboration in building digital twins, while Shri Niraj Verma, Additional Secretary of Telecom, emphasized the initiative's role in fostering collaboration and innovation among participants.
Breakout sessions at the events covered key verticals such as Intelligent Traffic Management, Multimodal Public Transport Optimization, Comprehensive Mobility Planning, Traffic Emission Management, Water Distribution Networks, Disaster Management, and initiatives for Aspirational Blocks focusing on Health, Nutrition, and Education.
Participants engaged in cross-sectoral discussions to integrate data from diverse sources while ensuring privacy preservation through advanced technologies like Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) and AI Governance Frameworks. The events produced viable project blueprints and strategic roadmaps that will guide future solutions, define stakeholder roles, identify potential customers, and establish funding and governance mechanisms.
Special emphasis was placed on developing solutions for Aspirational Blocks, focusing on enhancing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Health, Nutrition, Education, and other critical areas.
Key outcomes included innovative solutions for reducing traffic congestion through Intelligent Traffic Management and optimizing public transport, initiatives for assessing environmental impact and optimizing water distribution, and the development of the Sangam Health Twin platform for orchestrating various health digital twins.
At the conclusion of the Hyderabad event, Shri Niraj Verma launched the Outcome Document, which outlines the roadmap for Stage 2 of the initiative and invites feedback from stakeholders.
Looking ahead, the Sangam initiative aims to build on the momentum generated by these events by implementing developed blueprints, securing funding, and establishing governance mechanisms. Collaborative efforts will focus on integrating cutting-edge technologies and data-driven insights into national infrastructure planning to create sustainable solutions that address economic, social, and environmental challenges.
The DoT expressed appreciation to all participants and stakeholders for their active engagement and contributions, setting the stage for transformative advancements in digital infrastructure solutions.