India poised to lead globally in telecom as manufacturer of 4G stack provider: Minister Scindia

Scindia further said that on September 27, PM Modi will unveil two major digital infrastructure initiatives, BSNL’s fully indigenous 4G stack and India’s 100% 4G saturation network.

India is set to mark a historic milestone in global telecom leadership, transitioning from being the world’s largest service provider to also becoming a manufacturer and equipment supplier of a complete 4G technology stack, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said on Friday.

The minister noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has made transformational strides, similar to its achievements in space exploration with Chandrayaan-2, Gaganyaan, and Aditya L1, as well as in healthcare through the Vaccine Maitri initiative.

“In the next 24 hours, the world will witness India stepping onto the global telecom stage not just as a nation connecting 1.2 billion people, including 944 million broadband users, with the world’s lowest tariffs, 11 cents per GB of data, but also as a producer of end-to-end telecom equipment,” Scindia said.

“Tomorrow will be the day when the world will awake to India, having arrived not only as a services provider, but as a manufacturer and an equipment provider of a full 4G stack, which India will also use to ensure growth, equity, and inclusivity in other nations of the world,” he added.

This breakthrough, Scindia stated, positions India to extend its technological capabilities to the world, empowering developing nations with indigenous telecom solutions designed to foster growth, equity, and inclusivity.

Scindia further said that on September 27, PM Modi will unveil two major digital infrastructure initiatives, BSNL’s fully indigenous 4G stack and India’s 100% 4G saturation network.

According to the minister, BSNL’s 4G stack is now live across 98,000 sites nationwide, ensuring that “no part of India is left untouched.” The network, already serving 22 million customers, has been developed as a software-driven, cloud-based, future-ready platform capable of seamlessly upgrading to 5G.

“4G is behind us. We are now perfecting it, and will slowly move towards converting that into 5G as well,” Scindia said.

Alongside the 4G stack, the government will also launch the Digital Bharat Nidhi-backed 4G saturation project, under which 29,000-30,000 villages have already been connected. This initiative ensures universal mobile connectivity as part of the government’s mission-mode project to bridge India’s digital divide.

On September 25, the minister said that the Centre has addressed several of the telecom industry’s most pressing challenges, including cybersecurity, spam control, standards, and technology interoperability.

Scindia, along with Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Secretary Neeraj Mittal, chaired a meeting of the “Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) Advisory Committee” on the same day.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Communications, the meeting focused on three key themes: resolving issues flagged by telecom operators and OEMs, reviewing the status of the Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) in Gwalior, and assessing progress at the Telecom Innovation, Research and Training Centre in Jabalpur.

“Three critical items — bridging the digital divide, spectrum authorisation, and the business viability of fixed-line services — remain under consideration, with stakeholders expected to provide responses to draft rules by October 6, 2025,” the ministry said. It added that matters related to telemarketer regulations, license fees, and electricity power requirements are also being examined as part of the upcoming telecom policy framework.

For OEMs, Scindia concluded deliberations on indigenous manufacturing, testing and certification timelines, and ease of doing business measures. However, “four items remain pending, including achieving cost-structure parity with global peers, developing a partial-to-full domestic manufacturing ecosystem for import substitution, promoting design-led manufacturing, and resolving single-source component procurement challenges,” the ministry noted. Inputs on these issues are also expected by October 6, 2025.

“Union Minister Scindia emphasised that the Government remains committed to bridging the digital divide, fostering innovation, and strengthening indigenous telecom manufacturing,” the ministry added, noting that he directed telcos and OEMs to work closely with the DoT to provide actionable feedback within the stipulated timelines.