New Delhi, October 8 (IANS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10th edition of 'India Mobile Congress' (IMC) 2026. During this, he talked in detail about the telecom sector, Digital India and the changing role of mobile phones.
PM Modi said that in the last 10-12 years, mobile phone has not only become a medium of modern communication but it has also emerged as an important tool for good governance. And this has been at the core of our Digital India vision.
He told that for this every necessary reforms were done in the telecom sector. Infrastructure was expanded. We focused on making mobile phones and other telecom hardware in India. With every such effort, the common citizen of India has become more accessible to mobile phone and data and today it is increasing the 'ease of living' of the people of India.
PM Modi said that till a decade ago the digital divide in India was a big challenge. Modern technology was becoming a privilege. That is, only those who have the resources could take advantage of modern technology, this was the situation that was becoming the case in India.
With the Digital India campaign, we decided to change this situation and brought mobile phones at its center. This was a huge effort to democratize technology. The Prime Minister said that mobile and internet connectivity kept education, health and government services running without any interruption. Today, even poor children from remote villages are able to access quality knowledge. Digital learning is becoming accessible to everyone.
He said that mobile phones are no longer just a medium for talking or chatting. It has reduced the movement of people, eliminated long waiting times, reduced expenses and increased facilities. This is the biggest benefit of technology which is directly available to the common people.
The PM said, “Digital governance has changed this situation. Today, hundreds of government services are available on mobile phones. Government assistance now directly reaches the accounts of the beneficiaries. Through Direct Benefit Transfer, about Rs 50 lakh crore has been sent directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. This has saved about Rs 5 lakh crore from falling into the wrong hands. Had the old system been in place, there would have been a leakage of Rs 5 lakh crore of the government.”
India's telecom infrastructure has expanded continuously over the past decade. Towers were installed in remote areas, optical fiber expanded unprecedentedly and data also became cheaper. This has also created new sectors of the economy. This also increased the number of new consumers in the technology, entertainment and education sectors and also created a new generation of new creators.
PM Modi gave the example of gaming sector. He said, just look at the gaming sector. It is estimated that today more than 50 crore people in India are associated with the gaming sector in some way or the other. A large number of these are the youth of India. The youth of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are also associated with it. Now, along with joining the game, he is competing in e-sports, creating gaming content and building new gaming businesses. That is, in India today the mobile phone is both a gaming console and has also become a studio of creation.
He said that today when telecom and digital technology is so important, it is necessary to strengthen the security framework related to it. Phone security and network security are the priority of all of us. We are also seeing how big a challenge deepfakes have become. Therefore, it is important that we work on a global framework for this.
PM Modi said that in the last years, India has traveled the journey from being a consumer to becoming a creator. Now India is moving towards that goal, where the product, design will also be in India, its technology and IP will also be of India.
–IANS
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