Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that his country plays a crucial role in bridging the “technological divide” of the nations of the Global South.
The remarks were made as the Indian leader inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area Office & Innovation Centre in the Indian national capital. The ITU Area Office is supposed to serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enabling better coordination and economic cooperation in the region, as per New Delhi.
“The inauguration today will not only strengthen the vision of Digital India but will also bring new solutions and innovative ideas for addressing the issues of South Asia and Global South,” the PM stated at the event.
Modi also hailed India’s innovation culture, infrastructure, favorable policy environment and skilled talent pool as being crucial in fulfilling the “unique” technological needs of the low and middle-income countries.
Modi has previously highlighted reducing the gap between low and middle-income nations and rich countries as a priority of India’s G20 presidency.
Modi also said that India would soon become the “biggest exporter of telecom technology” in the world and occupy an important place in global supply chains.
Modi Launches India’s 6G Vision Document
On Wednesday, the Indian PM also launched the nation’s 6G ‘Vision Document’, which he said would become a “major basis” of the rollout of the 6G technology across the country.
In addition, Modi unveiled the ‘test-bed’ developed by scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology for 6G technology, which would allow scientists to explore new network techniques, as per a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
New Delhi constituted a 22-member innovation group in November 2021 to create a roadmap for introducing 6G technology in India.