After 5G success, India will lead with 6G technology: PM Modi at IMC 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the 1st day of the India Mobile Congress 2023, said India is not only expanding the 5G network in the country but also laying emphasis on becoming a leader in 6G.

PM Modi says the 5G rollout that took place last year in India came as a surprise for the world. India moved from the 5G rollout stage to the 5G reach-out stage, he says, adding that within a year of the 5G rollout, the development of 4 lakh 5G base stations covered over 97% of the cities and 80% of the population.

He expresses confidence that "India will take the lead with 6G technology".

Pointing out the scam that took place during 2G, the Prime Minister says the 4G rollout that happened during his government’s tenure is free from blemishes. He highlights the role of 'Bharat Net' in connecting two lakh gram panchayats; and 10,000 Atal tinkering labs with broadband.

Speaking about India’s startup ecosystem, the PM says the country has made a significant impact and has made a "century of unicorns" in fairly less time and has become one of the top 3 startup ecosystems in the world.

He says India used to be an importer of mobile phones but now it has become the "second largest mobile manufacturer" in the world. India today is exporting about ₹2 lakh crore worth of electronics manufactured in the country. He also talked about the recent announcement by Google to manufacture Pixel phones in India. “Samsung Fold Five and Apple iPhone 15 are already being manufactured here,” he adds.

The PM says for the success of both hardware and software in the tech ecosystem, India must build a strong "semiconductor manufacturing sector" in India. He adds that ₹80,000 crore worth of PLI scheme is going on for the development of semiconductors.

Today, semiconductor companies are investing in semiconductor assembly and testing facilities with Indian companies. India's semiconductor mission is moving forward with the vision of meeting not only its domestic demand but also the needs of the world.

The PM says in the development of digital technology, India is behind no developed nation. He mentions platforms like PM Gatishakti in logistics, National Health Mission in health and Agri Stack in the agriculture sector. He also talks about huge investments in scientific research, quantum mission and national research foundations and the promotion of indigenous designs and technology development.

During the event, Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance, Jio Infocomm Ltd, says India now ranks among the top 3 5 G-enabled nations with a user base of 125 million. Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman, Bharti Enterprises says the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) of India is the envy of many countries. "Companies like Apple to Dixon, Samsung to Tatas, every company, small, big or startup are involved in manufacturing and India has emerged as a manufacturing nation."

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla Group, says many countries are eager to adopt India’s pathbreaking public infrastructure assets across identity, payments and data management. He says Vodafone Idea is committed to being a responsible partner in achieving the vision of the Prime Minister.