Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region
Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, highlighted the transformative power of connectivity on World Wi-Fi Day, organised by the Broadband India Forum in New Delhi this year. He also spoke about the emergence of India as an attractive investment destination for the telecom industry at the inauguration of Ericsson’s antenna manufacturing facility in Manesar in June 2025. Edited excerpts from his addresses…
Today, access to information is the difference between lighting a flame for entrepreneurship and keeping it doused. Therefore, this World Wi-Fi Day is extremely seminal, as we celebrate an invisible form of power and energy that is capable of powering visible change. This is what truly represents the power of Wi-Fi. It gives us the freedom to connect, create and rise in the digital age. The democratisation of this technology and its expansion across the length and breadth of India reflect that the country’s greatest strength lies in its people. With 1.4 billion citizens – 18 per cent of the world’s population – and 70 per cent below the age of 35, India is home to almost a billion young minds. That is the energy that India brings – for itself and for the world.
Today, the government is not just a regulator; it is also a facilitator. Its role is to open new vistas and create opportunities. It must remain company- or technology-agnostic, be customer-centric, anad provide every opportunity and technology to all the citizens of India. The government must ensure that Moore’s Law operates in the economic sphere, that as volumes increase, prices fall. And that is exactly what we have seen over the past 10 years.
In 1993, India did not have mobile phones. The first six licences for mobile phone service were issued in 1994, covering just six cities. Back then, one phone would cost a significant amount. Call rates were Rs 16 a minute. Then, about 10 years ago, these reduced to 50 paise a minute. Today, the rate is approximately 0.03 paise a minute. Moreover, 1 GB of data used to cost Rs 287. Today, it costs just Rs 9 per GB, which is 11 cents. And shockingly, the world’s average cost per GB is $2.49. So, India operates at 5 per cent of the world’s cost, thanks to the democratisation of technology.
Today we have fibre, broadband, Wi-Fi, mobile, and soon, satellite connectivity will join the mix. The Indian government’s goal is to provide as many avenues as possible and foster competition within each vertical to ensure better services and wider reach. A duopoly in telecom services – where only one or two carriers dominate – is not good enough; there must be competition in every sector. Today, India is probably the only country in the world with four telecom operators and intense competition among internet service providers. Now, with BharatNet, we will have BharatNet Udyamis (BNUs) across the length and breadth of the country. Those of us who lived through that era remember the advent of public call offices (PCOs). Today, BNUs will serve as modern-day PCOs, creating new avenues for entrepreneurship, and similarly, in the case of Wi-Fi.
Moreover, several of the policies introduced have had a strong multiplier effect. For instance, the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, with an investment of over Rs 40 billion, has resulted in sales exceeding Rs 800 billion, exports of more than Rs 500 billion, and employment opportunities for over 35,000 people. When combined with India’s telecom investment norms, which have been completely liberalised – including 100 per cent foreign direct investment through the automatic route – this has led to a significant influx of investment into the country. Along with all the telecom reforms implemented over the past two to three years, these measures have truly created a powerful multiplier effect for India’s digital and economic growth.
India’s leadership in the digital age
Look at the trajectory of our wireless landscape, particularly in terms of co-hosting services. We are set to grow from the current Rs 15 billion to almost Rs 70 billion by 2035 in just one vertical. Within that, the Wi-Fi segment alone is projected to reach 22 billion by 2035. That is a steep path of growth, and India is the only country witnessing this exponential growth.
Globally, the telecom sector is witnessing a slowdown in terms of growth and capex. But India stands apart – we rolled out 5G within 22 months, close to 0.55 million base transceiver stations, backed by Rs 5 trillion worth of investment. This roll-out now covers 99.6 per cent of districts and 82 per cent of the population. While four countries, namely, China, Finland, Sweden and Korea, dominate the global telecom equipment for 4G, India is now charting its own path. A public sector entity, such as the Centre for Development of Telematics, is collaborating with private sector company Tejas Networks and Indian system integrator Tata Consultancy Services to develop an indigenous 4G stack. We are now the fifth country to have this indigenous telecom technology.
For us, “the sky is the limit” is not a euphemism – it is a reality. From Wi-Fi to satellite, India has become a leader. Its citizens deserve full credit and recognition for that. You would be amazed to know that 46 per cent of the world’s digital transactions happen in India and not the developed countries like China or the US. But we have, as the old adage goes, miles to go before we sleep.
Building grassroots connectivity
Penetration is moving fast into rural hinterlands. In fact, we are launching 5G use cases not in cities, but across 13 villages with 10 services. My passion has been rural India – and our approach to Wi-Fi roll-out must reflect that. It must not only be nationwide, but it also has to be deep.
Regarding the Wi-Fi segment in India, this flame was lit in 2020 by the government with the launch of the Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) scheme. Around the same time, the vision was set for India to become the drone capital of the world by 2030 – at a time when most of us were still unfamiliar with what drones were. Today, drones are being used across India for a wide range of applications. The government has mandated 16 ministries to incorporate drone technology into their operations. Cadastral surveys in rural India are being done by drones, and their adoption is expected to grow further.
Similarly, in telecom, the PM-WANI scheme promises ubiquitous, all-pervasive connectivity to every village and every citizen. To make Wi-Fi all-encompassing, we must enable public data offices (PDOs) to access fibre-to-the-home connections, turning every storefront into a digital powerhouse. We must implement shared backhaul, linking isolated digital nodes into a harmonious network. A home or office router with a new service set identifier card can serve as a gateway to national digital commons. In such a set up, seamless roaming between PDOs can ensure uninterrupted connectivity from, say, Kochi to Kohima. The fusion of mobile data offloading with Wi-Fi conserves spectrum while enhancing efficiency. These elements have created a new metaphysical environment for Wi-Fi.
I assure you, from a policy standpoint, we are committed to building a platform that connects every unconnected citizen. With 0.35 million hotspots already in place, and all of this achieved without spectrum or bureaucratic red tape, India is setting an example for the world. We must celebrate this journey with purpose. Every hotspot must become a “hope spot”. Every connection should offer another chance. Every byte should carry millions of Indian heartbeats.
We have now delicensed and reformed the lower 6 GHz spectrum, which is a necessity today and not a luxury. This will enable multigigabit speeds, ultra-low latency and low-cost digital highways, spawning multiple businesses. That said, the digital divide between Bharat (rural India) and India must be obliterated. Our vision goes beyond the ground – we are looking to the skies. Low earth orbit and next-generation earth observation satellites are now a reality. Spectrum will be administratively assigned, with three licences already issued to connect previously unconnected regions.
I appeal to chipmakers, original equipment manufacturers and device makers to produce devices at nominal cost. Devices cannot become the new digital divide. Terrestrial fibre, satellite connectivity and low-cost devices together form a bouquet of opportunities for every citizen. This is the mandate of the telecom ministry – to ensure every Indian can innovate and power forward.
Finally, in India, connectivity is not a commodity; it is a tool of empowerment and an act of nation-building. Let us commit to lighting every rural home, empowering every aspiring mind and strengthening every public service with Wi-Fi. Let Wi-Fi stand for “widespread inclusion for future India”.
