Scindia urges OEMs, chip makers for affordable telecom devices for mass connectivity, nation building

Speaking at the World Wi-Fi Day Conference in the national capital, Union Minister said, "I must appeal to my industry, my chip makers, my OEMs, my device makers; we must ensure that we are able to produce devices at nominal cost to allow our citizens to connect to this technology. We cannot allow devices to become the new digital divide in our country."

The Union Minister comprehensively spoke on the digital divide, adding that this divide between Bharat and India has to be obliterated by technology, adding that access and affordability of telecom are needed.

He asserted, "We must ensure that this fight is one that is spread across the length and breadth of our country. It is like the arteries of the heart. And therefore, the digital divide between Bharat and India has to be obliterated by this technology. And for that we're not only looking at the ground... but we are also looking at the sky. Satellite, LEO and NEO both have become today a reality in India. Spectrum will be assigned on an administrative basis. Three licences have been given out, and those areas that were never connected will become connected in India."

The Minister further said that a duopoly in any sector is not good, adding that there must be competition in every sector.

Scindia added that the role of government is to be a facilitator, not the regulator, simultaneously becoming customer-centric.

"Our job in government today is not to be a regulator. Our job in government today is to be a facilitator. We need to open those new vistas; we need to provide opportunity," the Minister said.

Scindia, in his keynote address at the World Wi-Fi Day Conference organised by the Broadband India Forum, stated that Wi-Fi will be a USD 22 billion segment in India by 2035, playing a transformative role in the nation's digital journey.

Describing Wi-Fi as "an invisible force capable of powering visible change", Scindia hailed India's rapid strides in digital inclusion, noting that India now contributes 46 per cent of global digital transactions. He emphasised that connectivity is no longer a luxury but a fundamental tool of empowerment, akin to access to capital and infrastructure in previous eras.

Highlighting the recent de-licensing of the 6 GHz spectrum, the Minister said this move will enable multi-gigabit speeds and low-cost digital highways across India. Policy rules for the same will be announced before Independence Day 2025, he added.

"Connectivity is not a commodity; it is an act of nation-building," he concluded, urging collective commitment to light up every rural home, empower every aspiring mind, and fortify public services with the power of Wi-Fi.