Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said the government was "wholeheartedly" working towards reviving the economy.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the 10th Mindmine Summit organised by Hero Corporate Services, he said: "India is changing and evolving for good every second. The government is working towards connecting nearly 2,50,000 panchayats with optical fibres and very soon India will be home to 500 million smartphones. These initiatives are bringing people together for mutual growth."
Citing numerous initiatives taken by the central government, he said: "One such initiative - virtual mobile networks - will help consumers not just get more choices for voice and data services, but also allow telecom companies to monetise the unused airwaves."
The two-day summit will see participation of a mix of leaders from political, corporate and societal landscape.
NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant spoke about the importance of building world-class infrastructure to achieve and sustain 9-10 percent gross domestic product growth over the next few decades.
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"India needs to plan and invest in mega transportation hubs which will ensure greater, faster and more efficient transportation of goods and people across the country," Kant said.
On the contrary, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed concerns over safeguarding the environment while aiming for higher GDP growth.
"Environment and sustainability will play major factors in Indian economic growth. Vulnerability of climate change in India is maximum; we need to manage these issues while trying to be the leaders in consumption and production," the former union minister said.
Mindmine Summit is organised annually by independent think tank Mindmine Institute set up by Hero Corporate Service.
--IANS
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