India’s telecom landscape, often criticized for being a duopoly dominated by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, is shaped more by market realities than by government policy, according to Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 roadshow in Bengaluru, Pemmasani emphasized that the sector’s capital intensity has naturally led to consolidation.
“The duopoly has not been created intentionally by anybody. Telecom requires massive capex,” he noted, highlighting how Reliance Jio and Airtel’s ability to deploy significant capital allowed them to roll out services nationwide. “Because of them, we were able to achieve the fastest 5G rollout in the world.”
Despite the current market structure, Pemmasani stressed that the government does not envision a two-player market. “We need four to five telecom companies,” he said. To that end, the government converted nearly ₹36,000 crore of Vodafone Idea’s dues into equity, though the company continues to face challenges and regularly seeks support.
BSNL Revival and Homegrown Tech
The minister reiterated the commitment to revive Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) as part of a broader push for indigenous technology.
“BSNL’s revival is taking longer because we are also focused on building homegrown solutions. But eventually, BSNL will become a strong alternative,” he said.
India Eyes Leadership in 6G
Looking ahead, India is determined not to miss out on shaping the next generation of telecom standards.
“With 2G, 3G, 4G, and even 5G, India was not part of the global standard-setting process. But with 6G, we’ve already contributed to about 10% of the global standards and filed over 200 patents,” Pemmasani shared.
Globally, countries like China and the US aim to roll out 6G by 2030, and India plans to launch services in parallel.
Connectivity Milestones
With 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, 1 billion broadband users, and over 2.2 lakh villages connected via BharatNet, India has made significant progress in bridging the digital divide.
“We are investing an additional $18 billion to connect 40,000 more gram panchayats and 1.5 crore rural households with high-speed internet,” he said.
He also highlighted India’s transformation into a manufacturing hub: “From importing 75% of our mobile devices, we are now exporting ₹1.8 trillion worth of devices annually.”
Supporting Startups and Tackling AI Risks
Through the Telecom Technology Development Fund, nearly ₹500 crore has been deployed to support 120 high-tech startups. Pemmasani acknowledged that emerging technologies like AI will be both transformational and challenging.
“AI can enable fraud, but it can also empower citizens. For example, telecom has developed a financial fraud risk indicator to proactively profile users by risk and prevent fraud,” he explained.
As India accelerates toward 6G and deepens rural connectivity, the government plans to adapt regulations to keep pace with rapid technological change.
Top-notch SEBI registered research analyst
Best SEBI registered Intraday tips provider
Telegram | Facebook | Instagram
Call: +91 9624421555 / +91 9624461555