 Patience, Sri Devu Singh Chauhan, and the Secretary-General of ITU, Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin. Ladies and gentlemen, India is the second largest telecom market worldwide, with more than a billion subscriber base. The three pillars of ease of doing business, ease of living, and Atma Nirbhar Bharat constitutes the foundation of India's telecommunications policy, which was developed under the visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. May I now request the Honourable Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and IT, Sri Ashwini Vaishnav to please welcome all our guests. Honourable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi, Honourable External Affairs Minister Sri Jayashankarji, ITU Secretary-General Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Honourable Ministers in the Council, Honourable Ministers from Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Iran, distinguished guests, officials, students, engineers, and entrepreneurs. 2023 is a momentous year for all of us. While the global pandemic seems to be behind us, geopolitical tensions and financial instability looms ahead. Technology is also at an inflection point. AI and quantum technologies have come of age, 5G is becoming mainstream. It is in these interesting times that India is hosting the G20 presidency, and this is also the opportune time to present fruits of our Honourable Prime Minister's vision to the world. Honourable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi launched Digital India in 2015. Within a short period of eight years, Digital India has touched the lives of billion plus people. Our digital public infrastructure is capable of solving complex problems at population scale. And through the Digital India program, Honourable Prime Minister has transformed the telecom sector. His reforms have helped create a robust telecom sector. If a typical permit for telecom tower used to take 220 days a few years ago, today it takes only seven days. 85% of the permissions are instantaneous. India's 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world. And within a short timeframe of six months, we have 115,000 sites radiating 5G signal. The 5G testbed at IIT Madras is helping us perfect telecom gear and software. India is now emerging as an exporter of telecom equipment and technology. The 5G lab ecosystem in 100 universities across India will add momentum to the startups. And India's own 4G 5G telecom stack has now been tested for 10 million simultaneous connections. After successful field testing, we have started deployment. Within a few months, this deployment will be more than 100,000 sites. And today Honourable Prime Minister will inaugurate the ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre. We welcome you all for your gracious presence on this historic occasion. And we hope that this initiative will help the innovators from this region. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir. We have with us the Secretary-General of ITU, Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, who is a globally recognized leader with 30 years of experience in the information and communication technology sector, including several years with the International Telecommunication Union. She has broken the glass ceiling and is the first woman Secretary-General there. May I request Ms. Bogdan-Martin to please give her remarks about the ITU, its relationship with India, and the vision plan for South Asia. Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Honourable External Affairs Minister Shri Jay Shankar. Honourable Union Minister Shri Vaisnau. Honourable Minister of State for Communications Shri Chauhan. Dear friends of ITU in India and across South Asia, Namaste. It's such a joy and really a true honor to be here with all of you in Delhi today. And of course, it's also a special day as many Indians across the country are celebrating their new year. So happy new year. Together, ladies and gentlemen, together we're making history today. This has been made possible through India's strong support for this project right from the start. And so my thanks goes to you, Mr. Prime Minister, for helping to bring this new ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre to India and for opening this new chapter in the long and very rich history and relationship between the ITU and India. I'm very excited about this because ITU's presence in the region will help introduce advanced technologies, improve capacity development, foster entrepreneurship and partnerships, and respond to needs on the ground from digital services to skills to cybersecurity to digital inclusion. It will bring ITU closer to its members in Asia Pacific so that we can serve them better. By driving progress on universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation, that is the clear mandate of ITU. And that's exactly what the world needs right now to address our most complex challenges and to achieve the sustainable development goals. And I've made that my number one priority. The Innovation Centre that we're inaugurating today is in one of the world's best hubs for technological innovation, a place where cutting-edge research is driving digital development and pushing the envelope on the power and the potential of emerging technologies. Nowhere is this more evidence than in space the next frontier for innovation where India, a proud space-faring nation, has much to contribute to the growing space economy. India is a role model for countries that are looking to digital transformation. To digital transformation that can help to grow their economy, to rethink their government services, attract investment, remake commerce and empower their people with the digital tools and the skills that they need to succeed. And I think that the results speak for themselves. India is home to one of the biggest startup ecosystems, digital payments market and tech workforces in the world. Under the vision and the leadership of His Excellency, the Prime Minister, digital India has put the country on the forefront of tech innovation and adoption with game-changing initiatives like ATIHAR, the Unified Payment Interface Platform UPI and so many other initiatives that have turned India into a knowledge-based economy where innovation is happening fast at low cost and on a massive scale unseen before. Because at the center is a basic principle. And that basic principle, inclusive growth, is captured in the mantra, sub-kasat, sub-kavikas. And I'm so pleased to see this reflected in the great theme of the G20 this year, under India, of course, under India's presidency, one earth, one family, one future. As ladies and gentlemen, that's what this moment requires. And I want to take this opportunity to again commend the Prime Minister and India for their leadership, for keeping digital high on the agenda, and for considering ITU as a knowledge partner in the G20 presidency. This year marks an important midpoint for the sustainable development goals. We need leadership in this space when it comes to digital technologies because if we don't harness digital, we cannot accelerate progress to achieving those 17 sustainable development goals. What we're starting here today is paving the way for a more innovative, more equal, more safe, and more prosperous, and more sustainable digital future for all people in all regions. Ladies and gentlemen, I can't wait to see what our new ITU area office and innovation center will do to take technological innovation, digital transformation, and cooperation with all our partners to new heights here in India and across South Asia. Thank you very much. Namaste. Thank you, Ms. Martin. As mentioned before, India has been a founding member and an active contributor to global telecom policy and standards through the ITU platform. We now have a short video that we'd like to share with you about India's journey at the ITU. India is emerging as a trusted technology partner offering digital public goods and 4G, 5G stats to the world. Indian story sets a global example with the explosion of data consumption at affordable cost to masses. It is indeed a success story of ICTs and digital transformation. India's journey with global telecommunication began long back through its engagement with international telecommunication union over the years, India has been actively engaging at various forums like ITU sectoral conferences, workshops, study groups, radio regulation board, and Asia Pacific telecommunity to ensure that the global policies address mitigation of digital divide and that quality broadband is available at affordable costs. The hosting of ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre in India is befitting visionary initiatives of honourable PM such as Digital India, the National Digital Communication Policy and the National Broadband Mission. This is first of its kind in the ITU system where the local area office under the guidance of the regional office would not only serve the South Asian countries but also act as a global epicentre of innovation. The ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre will be driven by a commitment to deliver innovative and path breaking solutions for technological enhancements worldwide. India ICTs innovation are becoming more relevant in this key year of Indian Presidency of G20 to contribute for the global good. With its strong democratic values and a mosaic of cultures and diversity, India can contribute to the global ICT ecosystem to achieve the goals of affordable telecom technologies and solutions to the world. We request our illustrious Prime Minister, Srinarendra Modiji, to please inaugurate the new ITU Area Office for South Asia and the Innovation Centre in New Delhi that will help to push the boundaries of innovation and accelerate digital transformation for all people, businesses and communities across India, the region and beyond. The launch of 5G services on the 1st of October 2022 in India by the Honourable Prime Minister, the rollout of 5G networks in the country has been rapid and in fact the fastest in the world. Now the Government of India has embarked upon the next generation 6G research and innovation in the country to enable India to be a frontline contributor to 6G technology and manufacturing by 2030. India is just becoming atmanibar or self-reliant in emerging and vital ICTs but has become a significant contributor to the global public good and for ubiquitous and affordable connectivity to enhance the lives and livelihoods in growing economies. May I now request the Honourable Prime Minister to release the Bharat 6G vision that clearly enunciates the path India seeks to take in its quest for research and development of next generation technologies and ICTs. We have copies for everyone on stage to hold up for the photograph. Thank you sir. As part of the 6G mission, India plans to set up a test bet that helps innovators to develop products which operate on Terahertz frequencies and are 6G. May I now request the Honourable Prime Minister, Shree Narendra Modiji, to please launch the 6G test bed project that is being set up by a consortium of Sanir, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati and IITs. Ladies and gentlemen, the National Broadband Mission, an initiative by the Department of Telecommunications, aims to ensure connectivity for all with equal digital access to citizens living in rural areas. Under the mission, the government has been trying to boost the digital infrastructure in the country and with this mobile app aptly called Call Before You Dig, the government aims to connect construction agencies with underground utility asset owners as seamless communication between these parties is a critical element of digital India vision. We have a short film on this app. For the exemplary leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister, Shree Narendra Modi, India is witnessing unprecedented development in works. The Piyan Gati Shakti initiative resulted in a robust government approach, contributing to integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure projects. The Piyan Gati Shakti will decide that India in the 21st century will not lose money due to lack of coordination in infrastructure projects. Sometimes, during the construction of infrastructure projects, underground utility assets get damaged. In telecom sector alone, about 1 million cable cuts happen, causing loss of about 400 million US dollars every year. Therefore, it was important to come up with a solution to prevent damage to the nation's underground public infrastructure. As per the vision of the Prime Minister, the Department of Telecommunications and Bowsag N have developed a unique mobile application called Before You Dig. One Before You Dig mobile application will not only help to protect the 3.7 million root kilometers of the telecom sector's underground optical fiber cable infrastructure, but also safeguard water and gas pipelines in electricity cables, etc. Production and damages to these infrastructures will also reduce inconvenience to the citizens. More than 25,000 underground asset owner offices have been registered in this app so far. Because of the availability of contact information of all utility agencies in the lab, excavators will be able to inform them at every stage of work. Automated unit, SMS, and in-depth alerts will provide frequent updates to excavators and acetoners. Better coordination between the agencies will lead to planned excavation, ensuring the safety of underground assets, thus benefiting all the stakeholders through use of doing business, saving potential business losses and minimizing discomfort to the citizens, as they will be less disruption in crude, telecom, water, gas, and electricity services. With Call Before You Dig mobile app, Safety of Nations underground assets is in your hands. May I now request the Honorable Prime Minister to please launch this mobile app by clicking on the app icon on a mobile. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister Sir, for launching all these important elements. May I now request you to please share your thoughts with us. This is the beginning of the new year of the calendar. I wish you all, and all the citizens of the country, a very, very happy 28th anniversary of Vikram Samvat. In such a vast country, in a vast country, from centuries, different calendars have been launched. Malayalam Kalka, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, which has been giving knowledge to India for hundreds of years. Vikram Samvat has also been running for 20-80 years. In the Gregorian calendar, it has been running for 20-23 years. Vikram Samvat has also been running for 27-27 years. I am happy that the first day of the new year, telecom, ICT, and with this, innovation is beginning in India. Today, International Telecommunication Union, ITU's Area Office, and not only the Area Office, but the Area Office and Innovation Centre. Along with this, today, 6G Testbed has been launched. With this technology, our vision document has been unveiled. With this digital India's new energy, for South Asia, for Global South, new solutions, new innovations will come. Especially, our academia, our innovators, startups, for our industry, there will be many new opportunities. Friends, today, when India is running for G20, then in its early stages, it is also necessary to reduce regional divide. A few weeks ago, in India, Global South Summit has been launched. Looking at the unique needs of Global South, technology, design, and the land of standards is very important. Global South is now a part of the technological divide. This area of ITU, Office and Innovation Centre, is a huge step in this direction. With the aim of universal connectivity in Global South, India's efforts will be very important. With this, in Southeast Asia, in the ICT sector, cooperation and co-operation will also be strengthened. And on this occasion, many guests from abroad are present here. I congratulate all of you, and I wish you all the best. Friends, when we talk about the technological divide, then it is very self-sufficient to expect from India. India's community, India's innovation culture, India's infrastructure, India's skill and innovative manpower, India's favourable policy environment, all of these things are the basis of this innovation. Along with them, the main strength of India is trust, and the second is scale. Without trust and without scale, we cannot reach technology by any means. And I would say that trust, this technology, which is the first condition of trust, in this direction, is talking about India's efforts. Today, the whole world is doing it. Today, India, with 800 crore mobile phones, is the most connected democracy of the world. A cheap smartphone and cheap internet data has made the digital world of India more than 800 crores every month in India. A cheap smartphone and a cheap internet data has made the digital world of India more than 800 crores every month in India. A cheap smartphone and a cheap internet data has made the digital world of India more than 800 crores every month in India. India has sent more than 28 lakh crores directly to the banks of its citizens for direct benefit transfer. We have opened the banks of most of the people in America and after that a unique digital identity has been authenticated by them and then more than 100 crores of people have been connected to their mobile phones. A cheap smartphone and a cheap internet data has made the digital world of India more than 800 crores every month in India. A cheap smartphone and a cheap internet data has made the digital world of India more than 800 crores every month in India. A cheap smartphone and a digital technology is universal in India and in every direction. In the last few years there has been a digital inclusion on a large scale in India. If we talk about broadband connectivity then before 2014 6 crore users today the number of broadband users is more than 80 crores. Before 2014 the internet connection was 25 crores. Today it is more than 85 crores in India. Now the number of internet users in India is more than the number of internet users living in cities. This is the proof that digital power has reached every corner of the country. In the last 9 years in India the government and the private sector have spent 25 lakh kilometres of optical fibre. 25 lakh kilometres of optical fibre. In the last few years nearly up to 2 lakh grams of optical fibre has been attached to it. Today more than 5 lakh common service centre is giving digital service. The effect of this is the effect of everyone that today our digital economy even the overall economy of the country is getting ahead of almost 2.5 times faster. With the help of digital India even the non-digital sector is getting more power. And the example of this is our PM Gatishakti national master plan. Every kind of infrastructure is being built in the country to bring a platform. The aim is that every resource related to the infrastructure is in one place and every stakeholder has real time information. Today the call before you dig this app has been built and that too is a part of this feeling and the call before you dig doesn't mean that it has to be used in political films. You also know that for different projects the work of the diggin is often to harm the telecom network. With this new app the agencies and those who have an underground asset will also increase the demand. With this there will be less harm and people will have less problems. Friends today's India is moving forward and today India in the world is the fastest country to roll out 5G. In just 120 days in just 120 days in more than 125 cities 5G has been rolled out. Around 350 in 300 cities 5G service has reached. Not just this 6 months after 5G roll out today we are talking about 6G and this shows the confidence of India. Today we have our vision document in front of us. In the last few years 6G will be a big basis to roll out. Friends in India development and in India successful telecom technology today the attention of many countries of the world is moving towards us. Before 4G India telecom technology was only a user but now India in the world telecom technology is moving forward towards being an exporter. 5G's power with its help to change 5G India with many countries is working together in the coming time India is going to establish 5G Labs with this 5G related opportunities business models and employment potential will be very helpful to get on the ground. These 100 new labs according to India's unique needs will help develop 5G applications whether 5G has smart classroom has farming has intelligent transport systems or healthcare applications India is working in every direction quickly. India's 5G 5G 5G standards are part of global 5G system even with future technologies for standardization will work together Indian ITU area is opening for us 6G will help to create the right environment. I am happy to say that ITU's world telecommunication standardization assembly will be held in Delhi in October next year. In this India will come I will give you all happiness for this event but I also challenge the students of this area that we should do something before October that will help the poor countries more and more. Friends the development of India is said to be a decade of India the telecom and digital model is smooth secure transparent and frustrated and tested. All the friends of South Asia can take it. I believe ITU will provide an important role. Once again on this important occasion many countries have come here I also welcome them and I also give you all happiness Thank you very much. Thank you Prime Minister please remain in your places until the Prime Minister and other guests have left the hall thank you Thank you Thank you thank you Thank you thankyou Thank you Thank you