Aruna Sundararajan

Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan said that some states and UTs are charging up to 50 times higher fees from companies for rolling out telecom networks and it will leave people bereft of next generation services like 5G.

Telecom sector brutally challenging, yet offers ample opportunities: Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan

Sundararajan said that USD 100 billion dollar sectoral investment enshrined in the national digital communications policy is not an over-estimate and may well turn out to be less-than-adequate in the wake of new age technologies and advent of 5G.

Telecom woes: Kumar Mangalam Birla meets DoT secretary

Birla, who was flanked by other senior officials of Vodafone Idea and Himanshu Kapania, vice-chairman at Grasim Industries (also Board member of Vodafone Idea Ltd) met Sundararajan for nearly 30 minutes.

Telecos to face challenges as SC order stops Aadhaar-based eKYC: DoT

The apex court while holding Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid struck down section 57 of the Aadhaar Act, permitting private entities to avail Aadhaar data.

New telecom policy may be placed before Cabinet in 2 weeks: Telecom secretary

The government has recently issued the NDCP which once approved will set road map for attracting investment of around Rs 6.5 lakh crore in the sector and create 40 lakh new job opportunities.

No intent to impose blanket ban on messaging apps: Telecom Secretary

The government has taken a stern view of false news doing the rounds on social media platforms, and asked WhatsApp to take urgent measures to curb the circulation.

Govt to help workers laid-off by telcos: Secy

Some estimates peg the number of job losses in the sector, which has been passing through choppy waters after the launch of the aggressive offerings by the deep-pocketed Reliance Jio, at over 90,000.

New telecom policy likely to be rolled out next month: Telecom secretary

The draft policy branded as National Digital Communications Policy 2018 was unveiled by the government yesterday. It aims to attract USD 100 billion or about Rs 6.5 lakh crore investments in the digital communications sector by 2022 with the help of reforms.

Draft National Telecom Policy to be released on May 1: DoT

"The direction of the new policy, that we hope you will see as early as on May 1, will be reform-oriented. It will be investor friendly and bring down the cost of compliances," she said at the Annual General Meeting of US industry body Amcham.

India's 5G, IoT ambitions to ride on core networks, enabling ecosystem: Telecom Secy

Terming the next-generation technologies like IoT critical, Sundararajan said the government's endeavour is to provide an "enabling" policy for growth of the industry and not to impose a "heavy regulatory framework".

Planning for 5 lakh rural wi-fit hotspots in next phase of BhartNet: Telecom Secy

Next phase of BharatNet plans to cover 1.5 lakh panchayats and create 5 lakh wi-fi hot spots for rural India, said Aruna Sundararajan.

Govt harmonising spectrum for 5G: Telecom Secretary

"On spectrum we are already more or less aligned with global position in 5G. Those bands we are harmonising in line with global community," Telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan told PTI here in an interview.

DoT to meet telcos, regulator on call drops on January 10

The meeting with telecom industry CEOs will be chaired by the DoT Secretary.

Govt aims to double telecom footprint in India by 2020

"By 2020, we must aim at a minimum doubling of telecom footprint if we really want to have the kind of growth that we have," Sundararajan said in her speech at a Ficci event.

IMG on telecom to submit report by tomorrow: DoT Secretary

The Telecom Commission will consider the panel's report in its meeting on September 8, DoT Secretary Aruna Sundararajan said.

Hopeful of new telecom policy in 2018: Secretary Aruna Sundararajan

The policy in the offing, will focus on areas such as Internet for all, next-generation technologies (like 5G and Internet of Things), skills development, and security, among others.

Telecom companies in for financial relief, as Trai pitches for lower levies

In a letter to Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan, TRAI has suggested measures to give relief to the telecom industry, which is currently sitting on debt of Rs 4.6 lakh crore.

Govt working on data protection law, says IT Secy

IT Secretary Aruna Sundararajan said that the government has "already taken cognisance of the fact that data is being put out indiscriminately in certain cases".

ATMs and cards will become redundant in 3 years: Amitabh Kant

Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant has said that by the year 2020, debit cards, credit cards and ATM cards will be redundant in the country given the fact that the government is pushing for digital payments.

Startups need to engage more closely with govt: MeitY Secy

Speaking at a CII event, Ministry of Electronics and IT Secretary Aruna Sundararajan conceded that the regulatory environment is far from "ideal" but added that the industry needs to offer more information and analysis to government.

Need to sustain momentum in electronics manufacturing: IT Secy

As per the study on 'Incentivising Domestic Handset Manufacturing Under GST', adoption of smartphone in India is expected to reach 688 million by 2020 as compared to 238 million in 2015.

Major Secretary-level reshuffle; Aruna Sharma new Steel Secy

Senior IAS officer Aruna Sharma has been appointed as Steel Secretary as part of a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected today by the government.

India may alter minimum import price list for steel sector

India imposed the minimum import price (MIP) on 173 steel products in February, helping cut inbound shipments last month to their lowest level in at least 14 months. The MIP expires in August.

MIP on steel products: PMO to discuss with ministries

A final decision on the issue of extension of minimum import price (MIP) on 173 steel products will be taken after a detailed discussion with the Prime Minister's Office

Do not intend to continue MIP unless strictly necessary: Govt

In February, the government imposed MIP on 173 steel products ranging between USD 341 to USD 752 per tonne (nearly Rs 23,065.24-50,865.28) to give relief to domestic steel producers against cheap in-bound shipments. It will remain in place for six months.