He said that the Telecom sector is the pivotal force driving India's digital transformation. Surge in data consumption and the rapid adoption of new technologies continue to re-define connectivity and digital engagement dynamics in India. As the largest data consumer and the second largest smartphone market, India is carving a new digital identity globally, said Mr Sinha.

Government led initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, which is the world's largest financial inclusion programme, the recently launched Ayushman Bharat scheme, which is the largest social health insurance scheme in the world, Smart Cities Mission, National Skill Development Mission, Digital India, Make In India, etc. are today catering to the needs of all the sections of our society. It is now critical to maintain the developmental momentum by strengthening the telecom sector, a core enabler for the socio economic progress of the country, said Mr. Sinha.

Smt. Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, Ministry of Communications, DoT, and Chairperson, Telecom Commission said, “The newly announced National Digital Communications Policy 2018 (the Policy) seeks to propel India to digital leadership and support India's transition to a digitally empowered economy and society by fulfilling the information and communication needs of citizens and enterprises by establishing a ubiquitous, resilient and affordable digital communications infrastructure that will help India become a trillion-dollar economy. The Policy seeks to attract US$100 billion in investments over the next four years and to create four million additional jobs, enhancing the contribution of the digital communications sector to 8% of India's GDP and propel India to the Top 50 Nations in the ITU ICT Development Index.

Given the critical role of the policy and its execution, we are happy to engage with industry stakeholders to drive the policy objectives and its speedy execution,” added Ms. Sundararajan.