During the 25 Years of Mobility in India – Desh Ki Digital Udaan webinar conducted by COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India), Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi left a message about all the possibilities of mobile connectivity and how the country has progressed over the years. “When the first mobile call was made in India on 31 July 1995, very few would be have known the possibilities that it could be usher in. Indeed, reality has painted the picture of a digitally connected world better than we could have imagined,” said the PM in a letter.
He also talked about the how the country has moved on from 2G connectivity to 5G, how ‘digital elitism’ has become ‘digital democracy’ and a tool of empowerment. Also, digital mobility has enabled other kinds of mobility – social, economic and informational. “The companies active in the ecosystem of digital connectivity has done yeoman service to the poor and underprivileged by ensuring connectivity reaches them,” said PM Modi. He added that digital connectivity can act as an ally for a government that is looking to transform the lives of people.
He gave the example of how the government has conceived & operationalized the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan – Aadhaar – Mobile). He claims that it has ‘revolutionised’ citizen-government connectivity and shattered silos. “Even in India’s exemplary fight against Covid-19, the Aarogya Setu App, enabled by the wonder of digital connectivity has been an asset,” he said. The PM added that since the country has ‘scaled many peaks’, it is now time to focus on self-reliance and security. Talking about the webinar, he said that “It would be great if the webinar can be a brainstorm about a roadmap to achieve end-to-end self-reliance in connectivity infrastructure as well as ensuring greater security at all levels against threats.”
