Parliamentary panel on Communications and IT discussed Make in India program: Chairperson Nishikant Dubey
New Delhi, June 25
BJP MP and chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, Nishikant Dubey, on Thursday said that the panel discussed how to take forward the Centre's Make in India initiative.
Speaking to ANI after the parliamentary panel meeting today, Dubey said that the Standing Committee discussed employment and access to the world market. He also hailed the Centre for not signing the Information Technology Agreement-2 (ITA-2) in 2015 to safeguard domestic interests.
"It was discussed how to take forward the Make in India program. PM Modi has done great work. After ITA 1, India did not sign ITA 2. We discussed employment and the world market," Dubey said.
The 'Make in India' initiative was launched on September 25, 2014 attract investment, foster innovation, and make India a hub for manufacturing and innovation.
Earlier on June 17, the Standing Committee met and was briefed by the representatives of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on the subject 'Review of functioning of Prasar Bharati Organisation'.
Last month, the panel was briefed by the representatives of the Ministry of Communications (Department of Telecommunications) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the subject 'Quality of Service (QoS) Standards and Consumer Protection in Telecom Sector' with special focus on Net Neutrality relating to the Department of Telecommunications (Ministry of Communications).
Nishikant Dubey said the committee was examining whether telecom operators and digital platforms were creating preferential access for certain categories of users, including post-paid subscribers and paying customers on online platforms.
"We have to look after 140 crore people. All of them should get equal rights. Right of Equality. This is decided by the Constitution. Is net neutrality important? Net neutrality is important. All the consumers, all the 140 crore people who use the internet, should get equal rights under Consumer Protection Rights," Dubey told ANI.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an expat working in Bangalore's tech sector, I see both sides. Make in India has boosted local manufacturing jobs but the hardware ecosystem still needs massive investment in R&D and skilled workforce. Talk is cheap - need action on electric vehicle batteries and semiconductor fabs!
Great that net neutrality is being discussed. But Dubey ji, please also check why telecom companies still throttle data for prepaid users while giving unlimited speed to postpaid. I recharge ₹299 every month but get worse speeds than someone paying ₹599. Equality ka matlab sabke liye same ho! 😤
I appreciate the focus on Make in India, but can we also talk about the millions of IT jobs at risk from AI automation? Our software services industry needs to shift from body-shopping to product innovation. Parliamentary committee should also address that, not just manufacturing.
Interesting discussion on ITA-2. As someone who follows global trade, India was smart not to sign it. But protectionism has limits - we need to eventually open up and compete internationally. Otherwise Make in India products won't be cost-competitive globally. #BalancedView
Small IT entrepreneur here. Make in India sounds great but ground reality is tough - we still import 80% of electronics components. Customs duties, logistics costs, and power tariffs make local manufacturing 15-20% more expensive than China. Panel should focus on reducing input costs 🏭
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.