India’s quest for inclusive growth to rein inflation is well reflected in the various measures and policies adopted by Government time to time. “Telecom Development is key to ‘Inclusive Growth’ stated the PM during the inauguration of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) on January 20, 2011. As per ASSOCHAM Study released in January this year, Mobile Value Added Services (VAS) will drive “Inclusive Growth in India”
Keeping in view the importance of “Inclusive Growth” for the country and the potential contribution of Telecom Sector in attaining the same, Amity Institute of Telecom Technology and Management (AITTM) kick started its 7th Annual National Telecom Seminar “TELEFOCUS” on the theme “Telecom for Inclusive Growth” from March 3-4, 2011 at Amity University Campus, Sector-125, Noida.
The Seminar was inaugurated by Dr J S Sarma, Chairman, TRAI ; Mr. Akhil Gupta, Dy. CEO & MD Bharti Enterprises ; Mr. Bhagwan D Khurana, CMD, Newgen Holdings and Former President, Bharti Airtel and Vice Chairman & Group President, Reliance Info; Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan – Founder President, Amity Group and Lt. Gen P D Bhargava- Director General, AITTM at Amity Campus, Sector- 125, Noida
Welcoming the august gathering and focusing on the aptness of the theme of the Seminar, Lt. Gen P D Bhargava- Director General, AITTM shared, “growth must not be treated as an end in itself, but as an instrument for prosperity to all. In India, according to a study, there are about 300 million people who are participating in the strong growth that is underway but there are still 700 million people whose lives have remained unchanged. India must strive to achieve high growth linked to inclusion of benefits accruing to the weak segments too. Telecom is considered as means for these people to progress economically by maximizing the profits in their profession, be it agriculture, horticulture, fishery, dairy, poultry, healthcare and so on. If “Inclusive Growth” is our goal, India needs to treat the Internet and Telecom connectivity as crucial infrastructure, just as airport, roads.” Lt. Gen P D Bhargava, further, informed that the deliberations of the Seminar will highlight the impact of Telecom on Inclusive Growth.
Sharing his views with the august gathering, Dr J S Sarma, Chairman, TRAI said, the world is changing very fast; it is changing exponentially but human brain, unfortunately, works in linear manner. We need to keep running to be in place; we need to continuously update and upgrade ourselves.” Dwelling on the theme of the Seminar, Dr. Sarma further, remarked that by “Inclusivity” one means that everybody gets a fair chance to access the resources. IT, to great extent, helps in attaining the Inclusivity. “The rural tele-density is one fourth as compared by urban tele- density in our country; which means social inclusion w.r.t. tele- density is not even half achieved in India. But it is expected that rural Tele- density will reach over 60% in next 3- 4 years. There are so many Mobile Value Added Services (VAS) available across the world but what is paramount is their access by the entire population not the selective few”, stressed Dr. Sarma. Concluding on a very optimistic note, Dr. Sarma said, “we are in for a very exciting times. Telecom sector is heralding the economic change and will continue to do so in future”
Extending his gratitude to all the telecom leaders and experts who added to the fervor of the Seminar, Dr. Ashok K Chauhan- Founder President, Amity Group emphasized that it is very important for telecom students to regularly interact with global and national telecom experts which will make them globally competent telecom professionals. Dr. Chauhan called upon the students to make the most out of the deliberations by experts which will take place during the two day Seminar.
Talking about how “Social Inclusiveness” can be achieved through Telecom on a day when Bharti Airtel has itself launched its 3G services to attain the same, Mr. Akhil Gupta- Dy. CEO & MD Bharti Enterprises said, “ India takes pride in the fact that it is the lowest tariff country in the world, which is over 30 paisa per minute. Therefore, affordability could ensure the easy percolation of telecom related services to the remotest corner of the country. 86% of Indian population has access to mobile and if the Internet has to go to masses, the best available device would be mobile.” We, on behalf of all Telecom providers, declared that they all are committed to “Social Inclusiveness” and attributed the Telecom Sector’s vibrant growth and revolution to the dynamic, pragmatic and bold support of Government of India
During the inauguration, Amity Institute of Telecom Technology and Management honored the telecom giants for their immense contribution to the sector.
Receiving Award on behalf of Ericsson India Pvt. Ltd for being the “Leader in Wireless Infrastructure and 3G Equipment”, P. Balaji, Vice-President, Communications, Corporate Affairs & Business Development thanked AITTM for bestowing such a great honor said “We are honored to receive Amity Corporate Excellence Awards as recognition for our contribution to our customers and the industry. It strengthens our conviction to drive adoption of telecom technologies that support sustainable development. We foresee ICT industry tapping into new revenue streams and driving transformation in other industries, enabling a networked society".
Bharti Airtel was honored for being the “Market leader and most admired & preferred service provider in India, owing to its innovative strategies in Fixed Lines, Cellular, National Long Distance”.
“Huawei India” was felicitated for being “the Most Popular Green Company with its unparalleled performance and for holding enviable position in Transmission and Broadband Equipment in India.
ZTE Telecom India Pvt. Ltd was acknowledged for being one of the “Fastest Growing Telecom Company in India and leading manufacturers of Data Cards, thus fuelling the growth of Broadband in India.
Nokia Siemens Networks Pvt. Ltd was declared as the “Leading Telecom Company in India for Managing Telecom Networks of a large number of service providers efficiently & economically, thereby contributing significantly to the growth of telecom in India.”
Also present during the inauguration were Mr. Setu Raman- Executive Director, Huawei, Dr. D. K Ghosh CMD, ZTE; Mr. Amit Dhingra- Head (Managed Services), India Region, Nokia Siemens Networks Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. S S Motial- Former CMD, ITI and Founder Director, NOVA Telesec; Mr. Vijay Madan- Mentor (Technology), Tata Teleservices; Mr. S D Saxena- Former Director, Finance , BSNL and Chairman, PTC India Foundation and other industry leaders along with Heads and Directors of Amity Institutions and Sr. faculty members
The distinguished speakers for the two day seminar include Mr. R. N Prabhakar – Former Member TRAI; Mr. Rajat Mukarji – Chief Corporate Officer, Idea Cellular; Mr. TV Sriram, Head Global Business-Wipro Mr. Satya N Gupta – Chief Regulatory Advisor & Director, Govt. Affairs, British Telecom India & SE Asia ;Mr. Tarvinder Singh – Director Marketing & Product Management , Motorola ; Mr. Sethumadhavan Srinivasan, Director-Marketing and Strategy from Huawei and others who will share their views during the enlightening sessions on “Broadband as a Vehicle for Social and Economic Development”; “Regulatory & Policy Framework” and “Accelerating Growth through Next Generation VAS ” spread over two days.
