Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation

PM’s Address to Indian Mobile Congress

  • Friends, Even as we experience the rapid speed at which connectivity is improving, we also know that the acceleration has just begun. Since the first ever telephone call was made, we have come a very long way.
  • In fact, even 10 years back it was difficult to imagine the kind of impact the mobile revolution has had on our country, society and the world. And the future that lies ahead will make the present system appear primitive.
  • In this context, it is important to think and plan how do we improve lives with the upcoming technology revolution Better healthcare, Better education, Better information and opportunities for our farmers, Better market access for small businesses are some of the goals we can work towards.
  • Friends, It is due to your innovation and efforts that the world was functional despite the pandemic It is due to your efforts that a son connected with his mother in a different city,
  • A student learnt from his teacher without being in the classroom, a patient consulted his doctor from his home, a trader connected with a consumer from a different geography
  • It is due to your efforts that as the government, we are also working to unlock the full potential of the IT and Telecom sector.
  • The new Other Services Provider guidelines will help the Indian IT services industry achieve new heights.
  • It will boost growth of this sector even after the pandemic is long gone. This initiative will help to democratize the IT services industry and take it to the far corners of our country.
  • Friends, Today we are in the era where mobile apps which are a few years old are surpassing the value of companies which are present since decades.
  • This is a good sign for India and our young innovators too. Our youth are working on many products which have the potential to go global.
  • A lot of young techies tell me that it is the Code which makes a product special. Some entrepreneurs tell me that it is Concept which matters more.
  • Investors suggest that it is Capital which is important to scale a product. But often, what matters the most is the Conviction the youngsters have on their product.
  • Sometimes conviction is all that stands between just a profitable exit and making of a unicorn.
  • So, my message to my young friends would be to have faith in their potential as well as products.
  • Friends, Today we are a country of a billion plus phone users. Today We have a billion plus people with unique digital identity.
  • Today we have over 750 million internet users. The scale and speed of internet penetration can be seen by the following facts:
  • Half of the total internet users in India were added in the last 4 years. Half of the total internet users are in our rural areas.
  • Our digital size and our digital appetite are unprecedented. We are a country where the tariffs are the lowest in the world.
  • We are one of the fastest growing mobile app market in the world. The digital potential of our nation is unparalleled, perhaps even in the history of mankind.