RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani speech on India's telecom industry

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on October 1 said that telecom company Jio will launch 5G services across India by December 2023. Ambani was speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022 event, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi "launched" 5G tech in India.

He also said that India's telecom industry is "ready to take leadership" and that government action is "crafting India into the 5G era, this is more than the next-gen of telecom".

My hearty congratulations to DoT and COAI for organising the sixth edition of the Indian Mobile Congress.

I can whole-heartedly say today that as Indian telecom industry, what we have demonstrated, I feel very proud. And to both COAI and DoT I can say that we are now ready to take leadership and the Indian Mobile Congress should now become the Asian Mobile Congress and the Global Mobile Congress.

Today is also very special because it coincides with our national celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Our beloved Prime Minister, Shri Narendrabhai Modi ji, has shared an inspiring vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. Every policy and every action of the government is skillfully crafted to propel India towards that goal.

The steps taken to fast-track India's march into the 5G era provide a compelling proof of our Prime Minister's determination. This is most heartening because 5G is much more than the next generation of connectivity technology. To my mind, It is a foundational technology that unlocks the full potential of other 21st century technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Robotics, Blockchain, and Metaverse.

In fact, I think of 5G as an acronym for "5 Goals" that fundamentally can transform our nation:

1. 5G and 5G-enabled digital solutions can bring affordable and high-quality education and skill development within the reach of common Indians. This will help young Indians realise their full potential by arming them with world class capabilities and competencies so that they can earn more and make India globally competitive.

2. 5G can affordably deliver high-quality healthcare to rural and remote areas by turning existing hospitals into smart hospitals without much additional investment. This will make services of best doctors digitally available anywhere in India, dramatically improve the speed and accuracy of diagnostics, and enable real-time clinical decision making. All this will enhance health, wealth and happiness of all Indians.

3. 5G can bridge the gap between urban and rural India by accelerating digitisation and intelligent data management of Agriculture, Services, Trade, Industry, Informal Sector, Transportation and Energy Infrastructure. This will create huge efficiencies in all economic activities, making India a hub of innovations, and also help us mitigate the climate crisis.

4. 5G can make available the same powerful productivity tools to small-scale industry and commercial enterprises as are used by large capital-intensive businesses. This will drive modernisation and profitability of all sectors of India's economy.

5. By bringing Artificial Intelligence into every domain, 5G can power India's emergence as the world's intelligence capital. This will help India become a major exporter of high-value added digital solutions and services.

Achieving these five goals will trigger a huge explosion of entrepreneurship in our country, which in turn will attract even larger investments and create millions of new jobs for our young people.

By harnessing the combined power of demography and digital technologies, India can become the world's leading digital society, setting a benchmark for simultaneously achieving the dual goals of acceleration of growth and inclusion in development – acceleration of growth by making India a 40-trillion-dollar economy by 2047, up from $3 trillion today, and inclusion in development by increasing our per capita income rapidly to over $20,000, from $2,000 today.

Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration to say that 5G is like a Digital Kamadhenu, the heavenly cow that grants whatever we desire.

Esteemed dignitaries,

The rollout of 5G in India is not an ordinary event in India's telecom history. It carries the keen expectations and the high aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. With 5G, India will take longer and faster strides towards Sab Ka Digital Saath and Sab Ka Digital Vikas. India may have started a little late, but I want to assure all of you, we will finish first by rolling out 5G services across the length and breadth of India. And as an industry, we will ensure that we have the highest quality and the most affordable rates than anyone else has in the world.

Today, I want to reiterate Jio's commitment to deliver 5G to every town, every taluka, and every tehsil of our country by December 2023. Most of Jio's 5G is developed in India, and hence carries the stamp of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

On this occasion, I would like to congratulate Honourable Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw ji and the Government of India for their efforts to strengthen BSNL. A strong BSNL will bring the balancing presence of a government entity in this very strategic sector.

Most Respected Pradhan Mantri ji,

Before I conclude, I would like to express a deep-seated emotion of pride in my heart. A pride felt by every Indian. Your leadership has raised India's prestige, profile and power globally like never before. In today's fast-changing world, there will be no stopping a resurgent India from soaring to the top – a place that is rightfully ours. India and Indians can't settle for anything less. All of us at the Indian Mobile Congress assure you that we will work together and walk together under your guidance towards the glorious future that awaits our nation.