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Top industry leaders on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership, which has catalysed India’s remarkable digital transformation, hailing the government’s support towards reforms, innovation, and collaboration. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 8th edition of the ‘India Mobile Congress’ during the International Telecommunication Union–World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (ITU-WTSA) 2024 in the national capital. It is for the first time that the ITU-WTSA is being hosted in India and the Asia-Pacific.

Bharti Airtel Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said the real transformation began in 2014 with PM Modi’s vision for a ‘Digital India,’ which ignited the 4G revolution.

"This has empowered millions, including those in rural areas, to access smartphones and essential digital services," he said. Mittal underscored the government’s initiatives to boost local manufacturing through the production-linked incentive (PLI) programme, positioning India as a manufacturing hub for telecom equipment.

"We are committed to reducing our dependence on imports. With initiatives like the PLI programme, we are transforming India into a manufacturing hub for telecom equipment," he said.

Mittal said India is set to lead in 5G technology, with extensive rollouts planned across urban and rural regions within the next 12 to 18 months. He also discussed the potential of low-earth orbit (LEO) networks.

Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla highlighted the steadfast support by the government in recognising the importance of digital connectivity and introducing several reforms over the years to drive India towards an even more connected, empowered and inclusive digital nation. Birla said they are committed to providing maximum support by promoting digital transformation to small businesses, making them future-ready. He also laid emphasis on focus on technologies like 5G, IoT, AI and cloud services.

ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan Martin recalled the Prime Minister’s emphasis on the need for global digital governance and highlighted how he made India's ambition very clear to lead by example and share its digital public infrastructure with the entire world.

Referring to India’s G20 Presidency where digital public infrastructure (DPI) was a huge priority, Martin expressed delight in ITU becoming a knowledge partner.