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28-Jun-2023: India plays key role in shaping ITU 6G Vision Framework

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has approved the 6G Vision Framework. India, through Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications played a key role in framing the Framework.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had released India’s 6G Vision “Bharat  6G Vision” document on March 23, 2023 which envisages India to be a front-line contributor in design, development and deployment of 6G technology by 2030.

Bharat 6G Vision is based on principles of Affordability, Sustainability and Ubiquity. It  ensures that India takes its rightful place in the world as a leading supplier of advanced telecom technologies and solutions that are affordable and contribute to the global good.

Thereafter, the efforts of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications in prioritising 6G standardisation have successfully resulted in adoption of Ubiquitous Connectivity, Ubiquitous Intelligence and Sustainability as key elements of 6G Technology and has also enhanced India’s position in the International Telecommunication space.

The 6th Generation or 6G Technology has been named ‘IMT 2030’ by ITU, the specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies of United Nations. The  recommendation of ITU for 6G Framework, approved on June 22, 2023; will serve as foundation document in 6G research and development and will pave way for development of 6G Technology worldwide.

The ITU 6G Framework has been formulated with collaborative efforts of member countries of United Nations in which India has played front-runner role from the very beginning.

Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of Ministry of Communications has spearheaded India’s standardisation work on this 6G Framework. The National Study Group (NSG), headed by TEC, has done extensive work in submitting regular Indian contributions towards the development of the ITU 6G framework. The inclusive approach adopted by TEC has resulted in wide stakeholder participation in the National Study Group with involvement of major industries, startups, academia and R & D organisations.

The TEC led NSG has been working on this framework since last few years, and has been advocating for India specific requirements at the International forum. In past, India, through NSG, had also contributed in development of 5G technology- a key outcome of which was adoption of Low Mobility Large Cell (LMLC) by ITU as 5G use case. 

22-Mar-2023: PM inaugurates ITU Area Office & Innovation Center

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office & Innovation Centre in India at a programme in Vigyan Bhawan today. The Prime Minister also unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document and launched the 6G R&D Test Bed. He also launched the ‘Call before u Dig’ App. ITU is the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). India signed a Host Country Agreement in March 2022 with ITU for the establishment of Area Office. It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the region.

Ms. Doreen-Bogdan Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union thanked the Prime Minister for helping develop the new ITU Office and innovation center in India which marks a new chapter in the long history of India and ITU. She expressed confidence that ITU’s presence in the region will help the introduction of advanced technologies, improve capacity development, and foster entrepreneurship and partnerships while also responding to leads on the ground from digital services, skills, cyber security and digital inclusion. “India is a role model for countries looking for digital transformation to grow their economies, rethink their government services, attract investments, remake commerce and empower their people”, she said. She further added that India is home to one of the biggest startup ecosystems, digital payments market and tech workforces in the world and the leadership of the Prime Minister has put India as a leader on the digital forefront of tech innovations and adoptions with game-changing initiatives like Aadhar, UPI among others that have turned India into a knowledge-based economy. 

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today is a special day that marks the new year of the Hindu calendar and conveyed his greetings on the occasion of Vikram Samvat 2080. Observing the diversity of India and the presence of various calendars that are prevalent for centuries, the Prime Minister gave examples of the Malayalam Calendar and Tamil Calendar and said that the Vikram Samvat calendar has been ongoing since 2080 years. He noted that the Gregorian calendar reads 2023 at present but Vikram Samvat began 57 years prior to that. He expressed delight that a new beginning is taking place in the telecom sector of India on this auspicious day where the area office and innovation center of ITU is being inaugurated. He also noted that the 6G Test Bed and the vision document related to this technology have been unveiled which will not only usher new energy in digital India but also provide solutions and innovations for the Global South. The Prime Minister underlined that it will create new opportunities for India’s innovators, industries and startups. He also noted that this initiative will strengthen cooperation and collaboration in the IT sector of South Asian countries.

The Prime Minister said as India is fulfilling its responsibilities as G20 Presidency, reducing regional divide is one of its key priorities. The Prime Minister referred to the recent Global South Summit and underlined the importance of technology, design and standards as per the needs of the Global South as Global South is trying to rapidly breach the technological divide. “ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre is a huge step in this direction and will also give momentum to India’s efforts to provide universal connectivity in the Global South”, he said.

The Prime Minister said that it is natural to have expectations from India in the context of bridging the global divide. He said that India’s capabilities, innovation culture, infrastructure, skilled and innovative manpower and its favourable policy environment are the basis of these expectations. “India has two key strengths - trust and scale. We cannot take technology to all corners without trust and scale. The entire world is talking about India’s efforts in this direction”, he said.

The Prime Minister remarked that India’s efforts in this direction have become a matter of discussion all around the world. Highlighting the achievements, the Prime Minister informed that India is now the most connected democracy in the world with more than a hundred crore mobile connections and credited this transformation to the availability of cheap smartphones and data. “More than 800 crore digital payments are made every month in India through UPI”, he said. He further added that more than 7 crore e-authentications take place in India every day. He also informed that more than 220 crore vaccine doses were administered through the Co-Win platform in India. In the past few years, the Prime Minister said, India has transferred more than 28 lakh crore rupees to the bank accounts of its citizens via Direct Benefit Transfers. He informed that India has successfully managed to open more bank accounts than the entire population of the USA through the Jan Dhan Yojna which were later authenticated through Unique Digital Identity or Aadhar and helped in connecting more than a hundred crore people through the mobile phone.

“Telecom technology for India is not a mode of power, but a mission to empower”, the Prime Minister remarked. He noted that digital technology is universal in India and accessible to everyone. Underlining that digital inclusion has happened on a large scale in India in the last few years, the Prime Minister mentioned that broadband connectivity had 60 million users in India before 2014 but that number has gone up to more than 800 million today. He further added that the number of internet connections in India is more than 85 crores compared to 25 crores before 2014.

Referring to the rural upsurge of internet use in India, the Prime Minister informed that the number of internet users in the villages has surpassed the urban areas indicating that digital power has reached every nook and corner of the country. He informed that 25 lakh km of optical fiber has been laid in India by the government and private sector in the last 9 years. “2 lakh gram panchayats have been connected by optical fiber and 5 lakh common service centers are giving digital services leading to a situation where the digital economy is expanding two and half times faster than the rest of the economy”, Shri Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that Digital India is supporting non-digital sectors, and he illustrated this by the example of PM GatiShakti Masterplan. He said the ‘Call Before You Dig’ app reflects the same thinking. This will reduce the instances of unnecessary digging and damage.

“Today's India is rapidly moving towards the next step of the digital revolution”, the Prime Minister remarked as he underlined that India is the country with the fastest 5G rollout in the world as 5G services have been rolled out in more than 125 cities in just 120 days and 5G services have reached approximately 350 districts in the country. Throwing light on India’s confidence, the Prime Minister said that India is discussing 6G just after 6 months after the 5G rollout. “The vision document presented today will become a major basis for the 6G rollout in the next few years”, he added.

Noting that successfully developed telecom technology in India is attracting the attention of many countries of the world, the Prime Minister emphasized that India was only a user of telecom technology before 4G, but today, it is moving towards being the biggest exporter of telecom technology in the world. “India is working with many countries to change the work culture of the whole world with the power of 5G”, he said as he underlined that it will go a long way in realizing the opportunities, business models and employment potential associated with 5G. “These 100 new labs will help in developing 5G applications according to India's unique needs. Be it 5G smart classrooms, farming, intelligent transport systems or healthcare applications, India is working fast in every direction”, the Prime Minister said. Noting that India's 5G standards are part of the global 5G systems, the Prime Minister said that India will also work closely with ITU for the standardization of future technologies. Shri Modi underlined that the new Indian ITU Area office will also help in creating the right environment for 6G. The Prime Minister expressed delight in announcing that the World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly of ITU will be held in October next year in Delhi where representatives from all over the world will visit India.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister highlighted the pace of India's development and expressed the belief that this center of ITU will play an important role. “This decade is India's tech-ade. India's telecom and digital model is smooth, secure and transparent and all the friendly countries of South Asia can take advantage of this”, the Prime Minister concluded.

Union Minister for Communications, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Union Minister of State for Communications, Shri Devusinh Chauhan and Secretary General, International Telecommunication Union, Ms. Doreen-Bogdan Martin were present on the occasion among others.

Background

ITU is the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). Headquartered in Geneva, it has a network of field offices, regional Offices and area offices.  India signed a Host Country Agreement in March 2022 with ITU for the establishment of Area Office. The Area Office in India is also envisaged to have an Innovation Centre embedded in it making it unique among other area offices of ITU. The Area Office, which is fully funded by India, is located on the second floor of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) building at Mehrauli New Delhi. It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the region.

Bharat 6G vision document is prepared by the Technology Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G) that was constituted in November 2021 with members from various Ministries/Departments, research and development institutions, academia, standardization bodies, Telecom Service Providers and industry to develop a roadmap and action plans for 6G in India. 6G Test Bed will provide academic institutions, industries, start-ups, MSMEs etc. a platform to test and validate the evolving ICT technologies. The Bharat 6G Vision Document and 6G Test Bed will provide an enabling environment for innovation, capacity building and faster technology adoption in the country.

Exemplifying the Prime Minister’s vision of integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects under PM Gati Shakti, the Call Before You Dig (CBuD) app is a tool envisaged for preventing damage to underlying assets like optical fiber cables, that occurs because of uncoordinated digging and excavation, leading to loss of about Rs 3000 crore every year to the country. The mobile app CBuD will connect excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notifications & click to call so that there are planned excavations in the country while ensuring the safety of underground assets.

CBuD, which illustrates the adoption of a ‘Whole-of-Government Approach’ in the country's governance will benefit all stakeholders by improving the ease of doing business. It will save potential business loss and minimize discomfort to the citizens due to reduced disruption in essential services like road, telecom, water, gas and electricity.

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28-Jun-2023: India plays key role in shaping ITU 6G Vision Framework

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has approved the 6G Vision Framework. India, through Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications played a key role in framing the Framework.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had released India’s 6G Vision “Bharat  6G Vision” document on March 23, 2023 which envisages India to be a front-line contributor in design, development and deployment of 6G technology by 2030.

Bharat 6G Vision is based on principles of Affordability, Sustainability and Ubiquity. It  ensures that India takes its rightful place in the world as a leading supplier of advanced telecom technologies and solutions that are affordable and contribute to the global good.

Thereafter, the efforts of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications in prioritising 6G standardisation have successfully resulted in adoption of Ubiquitous Connectivity, Ubiquitous Intelligence and Sustainability as key elements of 6G Technology and has also enhanced India’s position in the International Telecommunication space.

The 6th Generation or 6G Technology has been named ‘IMT 2030’ by ITU, the specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies of United Nations. The  recommendation of ITU for 6G Framework, approved on June 22, 2023; will serve as foundation document in 6G research and development and will pave way for development of 6G Technology worldwide.

The ITU 6G Framework has been formulated with collaborative efforts of member countries of United Nations in which India has played front-runner role from the very beginning.

Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of Ministry of Communications has spearheaded India’s standardisation work on this 6G Framework. The National Study Group (NSG), headed by TEC, has done extensive work in submitting regular Indian contributions towards the development of the ITU 6G framework. The inclusive approach adopted by TEC has resulted in wide stakeholder participation in the National Study Group with involvement of major industries, startups, academia and R & D organisations.

The TEC led NSG has been working on this framework since last few years, and has been advocating for India specific requirements at the International forum. In past, India, through NSG, had also contributed in development of 5G technology- a key outcome of which was adoption of Low Mobility Large Cell (LMLC) by ITU as 5G use case. 

22-Mar-2023: PM inaugurates ITU Area Office & Innovation Center

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office & Innovation Centre in India at a programme in Vigyan Bhawan today. The Prime Minister also unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document and launched the 6G R&D Test Bed. He also launched the ‘Call before u Dig’ App. ITU is the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). India signed a Host Country Agreement in March 2022 with ITU for the establishment of Area Office. It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the region.

Ms. Doreen-Bogdan Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union thanked the Prime Minister for helping develop the new ITU Office and innovation center in India which marks a new chapter in the long history of India and ITU. She expressed confidence that ITU’s presence in the region will help the introduction of advanced technologies, improve capacity development, and foster entrepreneurship and partnerships while also responding to leads on the ground from digital services, skills, cyber security and digital inclusion. “India is a role model for countries looking for digital transformation to grow their economies, rethink their government services, attract investments, remake commerce and empower their people”, she said. She further added that India is home to one of the biggest startup ecosystems, digital payments market and tech workforces in the world and the leadership of the Prime Minister has put India as a leader on the digital forefront of tech innovations and adoptions with game-changing initiatives like Aadhar, UPI among others that have turned India into a knowledge-based economy. 

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today is a special day that marks the new year of the Hindu calendar and conveyed his greetings on the occasion of Vikram Samvat 2080. Observing the diversity of India and the presence of various calendars that are prevalent for centuries, the Prime Minister gave examples of the Malayalam Calendar and Tamil Calendar and said that the Vikram Samvat calendar has been ongoing since 2080 years. He noted that the Gregorian calendar reads 2023 at present but Vikram Samvat began 57 years prior to that. He expressed delight that a new beginning is taking place in the telecom sector of India on this auspicious day where the area office and innovation center of ITU is being inaugurated. He also noted that the 6G Test Bed and the vision document related to this technology have been unveiled which will not only usher new energy in digital India but also provide solutions and innovations for the Global South. The Prime Minister underlined that it will create new opportunities for India’s innovators, industries and startups. He also noted that this initiative will strengthen cooperation and collaboration in the IT sector of South Asian countries.

The Prime Minister said as India is fulfilling its responsibilities as G20 Presidency, reducing regional divide is one of its key priorities. The Prime Minister referred to the recent Global South Summit and underlined the importance of technology, design and standards as per the needs of the Global South as Global South is trying to rapidly breach the technological divide. “ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre is a huge step in this direction and will also give momentum to India’s efforts to provide universal connectivity in the Global South”, he said.

The Prime Minister said that it is natural to have expectations from India in the context of bridging the global divide. He said that India’s capabilities, innovation culture, infrastructure, skilled and innovative manpower and its favourable policy environment are the basis of these expectations. “India has two key strengths - trust and scale. We cannot take technology to all corners without trust and scale. The entire world is talking about India’s efforts in this direction”, he said.

The Prime Minister remarked that India’s efforts in this direction have become a matter of discussion all around the world. Highlighting the achievements, the Prime Minister informed that India is now the most connected democracy in the world with more than a hundred crore mobile connections and credited this transformation to the availability of cheap smartphones and data. “More than 800 crore digital payments are made every month in India through UPI”, he said. He further added that more than 7 crore e-authentications take place in India every day. He also informed that more than 220 crore vaccine doses were administered through the Co-Win platform in India. In the past few years, the Prime Minister said, India has transferred more than 28 lakh crore rupees to the bank accounts of its citizens via Direct Benefit Transfers. He informed that India has successfully managed to open more bank accounts than the entire population of the USA through the Jan Dhan Yojna which were later authenticated through Unique Digital Identity or Aadhar and helped in connecting more than a hundred crore people through the mobile phone.

“Telecom technology for India is not a mode of power, but a mission to empower”, the Prime Minister remarked. He noted that digital technology is universal in India and accessible to everyone. Underlining that digital inclusion has happened on a large scale in India in the last few years, the Prime Minister mentioned that broadband connectivity had 60 million users in India before 2014 but that number has gone up to more than 800 million today. He further added that the number of internet connections in India is more than 85 crores compared to 25 crores before 2014.

Referring to the rural upsurge of internet use in India, the Prime Minister informed that the number of internet users in the villages has surpassed the urban areas indicating that digital power has reached every nook and corner of the country. He informed that 25 lakh km of optical fiber has been laid in India by the government and private sector in the last 9 years. “2 lakh gram panchayats have been connected by optical fiber and 5 lakh common service centers are giving digital services leading to a situation where the digital economy is expanding two and half times faster than the rest of the economy”, Shri Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that Digital India is supporting non-digital sectors, and he illustrated this by the example of PM GatiShakti Masterplan. He said the ‘Call Before You Dig’ app reflects the same thinking. This will reduce the instances of unnecessary digging and damage.

“Today's India is rapidly moving towards the next step of the digital revolution”, the Prime Minister remarked as he underlined that India is the country with the fastest 5G rollout in the world as 5G services have been rolled out in more than 125 cities in just 120 days and 5G services have reached approximately 350 districts in the country. Throwing light on India’s confidence, the Prime Minister said that India is discussing 6G just after 6 months after the 5G rollout. “The vision document presented today will become a major basis for the 6G rollout in the next few years”, he added.

Noting that successfully developed telecom technology in India is attracting the attention of many countries of the world, the Prime Minister emphasized that India was only a user of telecom technology before 4G, but today, it is moving towards being the biggest exporter of telecom technology in the world. “India is working with many countries to change the work culture of the whole world with the power of 5G”, he said as he underlined that it will go a long way in realizing the opportunities, business models and employment potential associated with 5G. “These 100 new labs will help in developing 5G applications according to India's unique needs. Be it 5G smart classrooms, farming, intelligent transport systems or healthcare applications, India is working fast in every direction”, the Prime Minister said. Noting that India's 5G standards are part of the global 5G systems, the Prime Minister said that India will also work closely with ITU for the standardization of future technologies. Shri Modi underlined that the new Indian ITU Area office will also help in creating the right environment for 6G. The Prime Minister expressed delight in announcing that the World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly of ITU will be held in October next year in Delhi where representatives from all over the world will visit India.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister highlighted the pace of India's development and expressed the belief that this center of ITU will play an important role. “This decade is India's tech-ade. India's telecom and digital model is smooth, secure and transparent and all the friendly countries of South Asia can take advantage of this”, the Prime Minister concluded.

Union Minister for Communications, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Union Minister of State for Communications, Shri Devusinh Chauhan and Secretary General, International Telecommunication Union, Ms. Doreen-Bogdan Martin were present on the occasion among others.

Background

ITU is the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). Headquartered in Geneva, it has a network of field offices, regional Offices and area offices.  India signed a Host Country Agreement in March 2022 with ITU for the establishment of Area Office. The Area Office in India is also envisaged to have an Innovation Centre embedded in it making it unique among other area offices of ITU. The Area Office, which is fully funded by India, is located on the second floor of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) building at Mehrauli New Delhi. It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the region.

Bharat 6G vision document is prepared by the Technology Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G) that was constituted in November 2021 with members from various Ministries/Departments, research and development institutions, academia, standardization bodies, Telecom Service Providers and industry to develop a roadmap and action plans for 6G in India. 6G Test Bed will provide academic institutions, industries, start-ups, MSMEs etc. a platform to test and validate the evolving ICT technologies. The Bharat 6G Vision Document and 6G Test Bed will provide an enabling environment for innovation, capacity building and faster technology adoption in the country.

Exemplifying the Prime Minister’s vision of integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects under PM Gati Shakti, the Call Before You Dig (CBuD) app is a tool envisaged for preventing damage to underlying assets like optical fiber cables, that occurs because of uncoordinated digging and excavation, leading to loss of about Rs 3000 crore every year to the country. The mobile app CBuD will connect excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notifications & click to call so that there are planned excavations in the country while ensuring the safety of underground assets.

CBuD, which illustrates the adoption of a ‘Whole-of-Government Approach’ in the country's governance will benefit all stakeholders by improving the ease of doing business. It will save potential business loss and minimize discomfort to the citizens due to reduced disruption in essential services like road, telecom, water, gas and electricity.

2022

4-Jun-2022: India to contest for re-election to International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council

“India, under the leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji, has been at the fore front, of global digital transformation, achieving excellence in development, and use of Information and Communication Technologies,” said Shri Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State for Communications during World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) 2022. Shri Devusinh Chauhan, led the Indian Delegation to participate in WSIS 2022 during 31st May – 3rd June 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.

WSIS is co-organized by International Telecommunications Union (ITU), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in close collaboration with all WSIS Action Line co-/facilitators and other UN organizations. It is an on-going process since WSIS Summit in 2003 to take forward initiatives in building the information society for the world community.

India is contesting, for re-election, to the ITU Council, for the term 2023-2026. India has been a member of ITU since 1869 and has been continuously participating, actively in the works, and activities of the Union, and has been contributing, to the fullest possible extent, in the growth and development, of Telecom/ICTs, for the benefit of global community.

Speaking at the reception for introducing India’s Radio Regulations Board (RRB) Candidate and ITU Council candidature of India for re-election, Shri Devusinh Chauhan said that India shares the dream, and vision of ITU, to realize the world, as connected society, and enabling ICTs, to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Proposing name of Ms. M. Revathi, as India’s candidate for Member, RRB, the Minister said that Ms. Revathi, has a proven track record, of professional expertise, leadership capabilities, commitment to deliver time bound tasks, systematic problem-solving capability, and framing regulations, for inclusive ICT development.

Shri Devusinh Chauhan reiterated India’s firm commitment, to contribute to the realization, of the ITU’s goals and appealed the participants, to support, India’s candidature, for ITU Council, and Ms. Revathi’s candidature, for RRB.

During the event, the Minister participated in the several sessions including High-Level policy session on “Bridging the Digital Divide”, Ministerial Round Table meeting on ICT for wellbeing, inclusion, and resilience and a High level Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (AI). While delivering high level policy statement on digital divide, he apprised the global forum about the Indian Government's initiatives like BharatNet to cover all 6 lakh villages, umbrella mobile coverage for all villages, high speed internet access to all and many other initiatives. Also apprised that India successfully got a customised standards approved which will help in spreading 5G in rural areas.

During the high level meetings related to ICT and AI, Shri Devusinh Chauhan briefed the participants about initiatives taken up by India for development of reliable ICT infrastructure, and efforts by the government to realise potential of AI. The minister said that India, being one of the fastest-growing economies, has a significant stake, in the AI revolution, given its disruptive nature, and potential, to transform economies. The minister said that India, being one of the fastest-growing economies, has a significant stake, in the AI revolution, given its disruptive nature, and potential, to transform economies.

On the sidelines of WSIS 2022, Minister of State for Communications, Shri Devusinh Chauhan held multiple bilateral meetings and met several dignitaries and excellencies such as the Deputy Secretary of ITU, Mr. Malcom Johnson, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Iran, Mr. Issa Zarepour, Vice Minister of Policy Co-ordination of Japan, Mr. Yuji Sasaki, Secretary General of ITU, Mr. Haolin Zhou. The Minister presented them with a miniature memento of the World’s largest Statue, The Statue of Unity (Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel).

The Hon’ble secretary General of ITU, Mr. Haolin Zhou appreciated the initiatives by India in ICT. The WISS chairman Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim noted India as a successful case study.

1-Apr-2022: India secures leadership position in ITU’s Council Standing Committee on Administration and Management

India has secured a leadership position in Council Standing Committee on Administration and Management of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as an Indian official has been appointed as vice chairperson for the same.

International Telecommunication Union at Council meetings held at Geneva from 21st March till 31st March, 2022, has  announced the appointment  of  Ms. Aprajita Sharma, an IP&TAF Service officer as the vice-chair of Standing Committee on Administration and Management. She will remain as  vice chairperson of Council Standing Committee for the years 2023 and 2024 and it’s chairperson  for the years 2025 and 2026.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication.

The ITU is governed by the Plenipotentiary Conference and the Administrative Council. The Plenipotentiary Conference is the supreme organ of the Union. It is the decision making body which determines the direction of the Union and its activities.

The Council, on the other hand, acts as the Union’s governing body in the interval between Plenipotentiary Conferences. Its role is to consider broad telecommunication policy issues to ensure that the Union’s activities, policies and strategies fully respond to today’s dynamic, rapidly changing telecommunications environment.

3-Mar-2022: India signs Host Country Agreement with the International Telecommunication Union for establishment of Area Office & Innovation Centre at New Delhi

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Communications and H.E. Houlin Zhao, Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) signed the Host Country Agreement (HCA) for the establishment of an Area Office & Innovation Centre of ITU in New Delhi on 3rd March 2022.

International Telecommunication Union is the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs. ITU currently has a membership of 193 countries and over 900 private-sector entities and academic institutions.

The Area Office and Innovation Centre of ITU at New Delhi is expected to serve South Asian  countries namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India.  The Host Country Agreement provides the legal and financial framework for establishment and operations of the Area Office.

The Area Office shall also have an Innovation Centre, which is expected to give impetus to research and development in telecommunication technologies in South Asia. The Innovation Centre will provide opportunities to academics, start-ups and SMEs to showcase their innovation at a global stage. With signing of the Host Country Agreement, the Area Office and the Innovation Centre is expected to be operational by mid-2022.

The agreement was signed in a virtual ceremony during the World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly-20 (WTSA-20) being held in Geneva, Switzerland. WTSA is a four-yearly global conference of ITU dedicated to standardisation of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). India has proposed to host the next WTSA to be held in 2024.

India has been taking concrete steps towards development of telecom standards. The 5Gi standards developed within India have now been recognised by ITU as one of the three technologies for 5G. With more than 1.2 Billion telecom subscribers, a robust ecosystem of start-ups and innovation hubs, India is poised to contribute meaningfully in developing telecom standards further.

1-Dec-2021: India-ITU Joint Cyberdrill 2021 commences

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have commenced India-ITU Joint Cyberdrill 2021. This Cyberdrill is intended for Indian entities especially Critical Network Infrastructure operators. It is a four days virtual event starting from 30 November to 3 December 2021.

Several high level speakers, panelists and experts from ITU, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and other eminent organizations participated in the inaugural session. In her opening remarks, Ms. Anita Praveen, Special Secretary, DoT stressed upon the need of safe and secure cyberspace in view of the large networks in India. She added that cyber security is a collective responsibility and it calls upon all stakeholders – Government, the cybersecurity community and businesses – to participate in building a resilient cyber environment.

Mr. K. Rajaraman, Chairman Digital Communication Commission and Secretary DoT addressed the eminent gathering of experts. During his inaugural address, he recalled the message of Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi delivered during ‘Sydney Dialogue’. Referring to important transitions taking place in India, he emphasized the need to work towards development of trusted manufacturing base and trusted supply chains as well as to deepen intelligence and operational cooperation on cyber security and protect critical information infrastructure.

Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Director of ITU Regional Office, Asia and Pacific Region highlighted significant achievement of India in securing 10th rank in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI). Panelists and experts from organizations, industry and agencies made presentation on best practices and highlighted the policy initiatives of cybersecurity in India as well across globe.

More than 400 participants participated from critical sectors, namely, power, insurance, finance, CERT-In and CSIRT, industry, academia, telecom service providers and field units of DoT.

6-Nov-2018: India elected as a Member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council for another 4-year term (2019-2022)

 India has been elected as a Member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council for another 4-year term (2019-2022). The elections to the Council were held during the ongoing ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 at Dubai, UAE.

By securing 165 votes, India ranked third among the 13 countries elected to the Council from the Asia-Australasia region, and eighth among the 48 countries elected to the Council globally. The ITU has 193 member states who elect representatives to the Council.

Commenting on this development, Shri Manoj Sinha, Union Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge) said, “We are delighted to see India as a member of the ITU Council once again. This is a recognition of the role our country plays in the area of Telecom and ICT on the global stage”.

India has been an active member of the ITU since 1869, earnestly supporting the development and propagation of telecom in the global community of nations. The country has been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952, and has played an important role in harmonizing the contributions of member States from the region, always respecting the principles of equality and consensus-building.

India shares the dream and vision of ITU to realize the world as one nation and knowledge society. Our strong partnership with the ITU is also demonstrated in the recent ITU decision to set up the ITU South Asia Area Office and Technology Innovation Centre in New Delhi.  We are on target to have this Centre operational by January, 2019.

18-Sep-2018: ITU South Asia Area Office and Technology Innovation Centre to be established in New Delhi

The ITU South Asia Area Office and Technology Innovation Centre will be established in New Delhi. This was announced by Mr. Houlin Zhao, Secretary General (SG) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), during the 4th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting held in Durban, South Africa recently. ITU is a United Nations specialized agency for Information and Communication Technologies, with membership of 193 countries and nearly 800 private sector entities and academic institutions.

Commenting on this announcement, Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge), Shri Manoj Sinha, who was present when the announcement was made, said –  “The establishment of this ITU local area office will be an important milestone for us, as it signifies global recognition of the progress we have made in the field of ICT. It also places on us the responsibility to work with our neighbouring countries to take the benefits of the rapid developments in this technology-driven industry to our people in the South Asia region.’

As a member of the ITU since 1869, India has traditionally played a harmonizing role in the deliberations and exchanges of the body, always respecting the core principles of equality and consensus-building. The country has also been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952. The ITU South Asia Office will serve nine countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, in addition to the host country – which together account for nearly 24% of the global population.

In this connection, Secretary (Telecom), Ms. Aruna Sundararajan added – “This local area office will play a key role in organising capacity and capability building programmes for the region, and in accelerating the structured implementation of ITU’s development programs with focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Land-Locked Developed Countries (LLDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other similarly placed nations in the region.

The ITU Local Area Office will also impart a significant boost to technological reach and benefits for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which act as catalysts in the inclusive growth of a region’s economy and employment. “We are thankful to our neighbouring countries for supporting the establishment of this office in India, and look forward to further strengthening our partnership with them”.