Development of an indigenous 5G network and big ticket structural reforms are among India’s achievements as the next wave of communications and the IT revolution gathers pace
A mobile phone factory in Noida, June 2020; Photo by Banddeep Singh
In July 2021, when Ashwini Vaishnav took over as the Minister of Communications as well as Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) (his other portfolio is Railways, discussed elsewhere in this package), PM Narendra Modi’s brief It was clear- streamlining these sectors to create an ecosystem to create more jobs and make the most of domestic technologies and promote local manufacturing.
cover story , challenges ahead
Vaishnav was the first to anchor big-ticket structural and procedural reforms in telecommunications in September 2021. He allowed mobile telephony companies to defer their AGR (adjusted gross revenue) and other statutory dues for four years, giving them more breathing room and new life to debt-ridden Vodafone-Idea. It has also simplified the sharing process, changed the definition of revenue on which levy is paid and allowed 100 per cent foreign investment under the automatic route. The ministry has also accelerated the process of developing and designing an indigenous network for 5G. On May 20 this year, Vaishnav participated in a successful 5G test call. He is now fine-tuning a plan for design-based manufacturing, which will help build a robust ecosystem for 5G as part of a production-linked incentive scheme.
In January, global standards development body 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) agreed an action plan that would allow 5Gi (5G radio interface technology) to be merged into 5G. This was important to take mobile connectivity to far flung parts. Vaishnav at MeitY devised a plan for semiconductor production in India at a time when chip shortage has become a major threat to many sectors, especially the automobile industry.
