Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics, and Information Technology, addressed the media in a press conference on Tuesday. The conference covered a range of topics, including the Apple ecosystem, the telecom bill, Vodafone Idea, and the 5G rollout.

The minister began by discussing the impact of the Apple ecosystem on the Indian economy. Vaishnaw noted that the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has helped create one lakh jobs in the country and that the ecosystem has led to the manufacturing of 99 percent of all phones in India.

He also stated that the component ecosystem is slowly making its way to India and that mobile exports are expected to exceed $10 billion this year. Vaishnaw further added that the electronics and telecom manufacturing sector is expected to see exponential growth in the coming year.

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Moving on, the minister talked about the telecom bill, which is aimed at bringing in structural reforms to the sector. Vaishnaw said that the government is aiming to table the bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The bill is expected to address several issues in the telecom sector, including the high spectrum prices, the financial health of telecom companies, and the regulatory framework.

On the topic of Vodafone Idea, the minister said that the company is not in default, as of today. However, he did note that the company needs more capital to sustain its operations.

Finally, Vaishnaw discussed the 5G rollout in India. He stated that the country is on track to see a complete 5G rollout by December 2024. The minister highlighted the importance of the technology, stating that it will enable several applications, including smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and remote healthcare.

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