Indian ICT industry is one of the competitive markets across the world. The government also plays a major role in the growth of such brands as the policies that they impose defines their growth cycle. In the conversation with DT, Gaurav Ahluwalia, Managing Director of R&M India spoke over their perception about government’s support for the well-being of the industry.
DT: How do you see the overall growth of ICT market in India?
Mr. Gaurav: India has one of the fastest growing telecommunications sector with over 1.1 billion connections and is the second largest in the world. The communication services available in the country are comparable to the best in the world and major technology shifts like 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G have been adopted in line with the developed world. ICT industry continues to grow rapidly and is amongst the largest contributors to the Indian economy’s GDP and is also one of the significant contributors to FDI in India. Currently, witnessing an era of explosive growth in data and investments in newer technologies like 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine to Machine (M2M), data centers, mobile applications and cloud technologies are taking place. Programs such as Digital India, Smart Cities and BharatNet ensure data connectivity for the masses and are helping to ‘connect the unconnected’.
The mentioned flagship initiatives are accelerating the growth to all ICT industry vendors in India. The ICT infrastructure industry therefore will be at the forefront of the new emerging environment and in ensuring a global competitive edge for the Indian industry.
DT: What all support or plan announced by Indian Government do you feel as a key growth driver for this industry?
Mr. Gaurav: The ICT infrastructure industry with the support from the Indian government and regulatory bodies has played a pivotal role in the spread of affordable telephony services and a sustainable business model for ICT infrastructure roll out would be fundamental for the success of key Government initiatives such as Digital India, Smart Cities, BharatNet as well as digital payments. The government is implementing the flagship BharatNet project (in two phases), to link each of the 2.5 lakh gram panchayats of India through optical fiber network. This is the largest rural connectivity project of its kind in the world, and is the first pillar of the Digital India Program.
DT: How do you see the success of all such government initiatives?
Mr. Gaurav: The success of these programs and adoption of new technologies is highly dependent on the rapid deployment of reliable and sustainable ICT Infrastructure that provides uninterrupted and quality services at breakthrough speed. Although there is no single, universal definition of ICT infrastructure, in the present form, it can be defined as a combination of all passive and active networks, fiber and associated equipment needed to provide voice and broadband data connectivity.
DT: What are your suggestions to policy makers to counter any existing business challenges in ICT market?
Mr. Gaurav: ICT infrastructure is the backbone for the industry and hence there is also a need for a dedicated policy for setting up and running ICT infrastructure. Government support and an enabling regulatory environment would be critical as this shapes the decision making for the key players in terms of investments and initiatives.
