Create enabling ecosystem for MSMEs to prepare 5G spare parts: PM Modi to Telcos

Addressing the 6th Edition of India Mobile Congress 2022, after launching the 5G technology, PM Modi said, “5G technology should be used to bring about a revolution in the country.”

PM Modi asked the telcos to think about collaborating with MSME sector, StartUps and young minds to bring down the cost of manufacturing of products used in the 5G technology. He asserted that this will not only decrease the price of 5G products but also generate a lot of employment, even in the rural sector.

Among other things, the PM said that the 5G sector will revolutionize the way world sees India and help the country becoming a leader in the telecom sector. “Today, India is the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world,” he said.

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“New India will not remain a mere consumer of technology, but India will play an active role in the development and implementation of that technology. India will play a big role in designing the future wireless technology, manufacturing related to it.”

Citing the example of drone technology, PM Modi said people will grab the 5G and its allied technology automatically. He said following the drone policy was launched, many farmers have now learnt how to fly drones and started making use of them to spray insecticides and pesticides in the fields.

Remarking that Digital India has given a platform, the Prime Minister said that small traders, small entrepreneurs, local artists and artisans can now market to everyone.

“Today you go to a local market or vegetable market and see, even a small street vendor will tell you, not to transact in cash, but via ‘UPI’.” “This shows”, the Prime Minister added, “When a facility is available, thinking also gets emboldened.”

The Prime Minister said when the government works with clean intentions, the intentions of citizens also undergo change. “This is the key difference in the intention (niyat) of 2G and 5G”, he remarked.

Focussing on the need for a holistic approach to Digital India, the Prime Minister elaborated that “we focused on 4 Pillars, in four directions at once. First, the price of the device, Second, digital connectivity, Third, the cost of data, Fourth, and most importantly, the idea of ‘digital first’ .

He also spoke about the distance India covered from 2G to 5G and the highlighted the changes the country saw, including ‘Digital First’, ‘Direct Bank Transfer’, digital payments (UPI), among others.

The 5G can enable solutions such as e-health, connected vehicles, more-immersive augmented reality and metaverse experiences, life-saving use cases, and advanced mobile cloud gaming, among others.

Recently, India’s biggest ever auction of telecom spectrum received a record ₹1.5 lakh crore of bids, with Mukesh Ambani’s Jio cornering nearly half of all the airwaves sold with a ₹88,078 crore bid.