Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the telecom sector is already largely deregulated and the government is now focused on a continuous, iterative policy process to support investment and ease of operations.
Scindia explained that six advisory groups covering the entire telecom value chain meet regularly with the ministry to identify issues and enable faster resolution, ensuring that reforms remain ongoing rather than one-time interventions.
Below are the edited excerpts from the interview.
Q: Could you give us your thinking on what needs to be done now for the telecom sector to make it easier for companies to get into India and make investments for the future? What can they expect in the weeks and months to come?
A: First of all, this is already a deregulated sector. Secondly, my process that we undertake in both the department of telecom and the department of post is iterative. We have set up six advisory groups in the telecom sector covering the whole value chain within telecom, from equipment manufacturing to service providers across the board. And those six advisory groups meet with me regularly. Regularly, issues are brought up, issues are facilitated, resolved, and we move on to the next items on the agenda.
For us, within the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as well as the Department of Posts, it's an ongoing process. For example, in the Department of Post, we are coming out with six new products across mails and parcels, developing SLAs - service level agreements in terms of responsiveness and delivery across those six products. So, it's an iterative process. If I can give you an analogy of a moving treadmill and never static.
Q: Let me ask you about the big development that has come from the Supreme Court, with the court saying that the government can go ahead and reassess all of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues of Vodafone Idea. Having said that, what is the government planning to do next? What are the options?
A: Post the judgment, which is what is being examined within the department today, we are also awaiting the formal request from Vodafone. Once that does come through, and we complete our evaluation internally, we will then put forward our recommendation of what can be done and what cannot be done. But that is still work in progress.
The judgment is a very recent one. Once the contours of that environment can be shaped, then we will certainly bring it into the public domain. But right now, the judgment needs to be evaluated, and against the judgment, what is possible, what is not possible, needs to be evaluated, which is what the Department of Telecom is working on right now.
Q: As per reports, the AGR dues of Vodafone amount to around ₹83,500 crore. Now, what are the contours of the package? How would you look to reduce the liabilities for Vodafone?
A: I will repeat what I just said. It's being worked on within the department at this point. It is too early for me to comment on that. Once the department comes up with what is possible and what is not possible, at that point in time, I will exercise my own opinion on that. But we are a little early in the process for me to make a comment on that at this point.
Q: When do you plan to complete this assessment and maybe come out with a decision?
A: I think in the next couple of weeks, we should be in a position to be ready to comment on it.
Q: So, maybe a final decision on how the government will give a relief package and the contours of that relief package will be clear by year's end?
A: Certainly, so hopefully yes.
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Q: The government is a 49% equity holder in Vodafone Idea. How do you see the growth of the company here on, what are your expectations, because you're a major stakeholder?
A: I do believe that they have a robust capex programme in place. They have also raised one of the largest public offerings in the last six to eight months in terms of their equity. They have done an FPO – follow-on public offer. There is certainly the overhang of the dues to the government of India. They are a very low-leverage company at this point, and the reason for that is that the dues of the government of India are considered as leverage by banks. So, I think once we can shape the contours of what can be done, it will also give them space to maybe raise some amount of debt.
The cash flows are fairly robust going forward as well, but certainly, they will look at investing in the network as well. But I think that's all for management to look at. We are a shareholder, and our responsibility ends at that. The management of the company, the future roadmap of the company, has to be fixed by the management and not by shareholders.
Q: You had told us in our recent interaction that you don't want to make this a public sector undertaking (PSU). Now, after the Supreme Court judgement, has the view changed?
A: Not at all.
Q: So, no further increase in state?
A: Not at all, the minute you cross the 49% Rubicon, you are then tethering on the border of making it a PSU. That certainly is not the intent of the Government of India.
Q: I would also try and understand from you, because there have been a lot of reports on the contours of this proposed relief package, and those reports said that the telecom ministry is looking to significantly reduce the AGR dues liability for Vodafone, and there is a plan to include in the relief package the interest penalty on interest and interest on penalties as well. Could you give us a confirmation?
A: I have said that to you, and I am saying it again - it's too early for me to comment. Let the Department of Telecom work on the contours of the judgment of the Supreme Court. Based on the contours of the judgment of the Supreme Court and the rubric that they have defined, see what is possible and not possible. It's too early for me to comment on that.
Q: Bharti Airtel has also requested the government for reassessment of all AGR dues. Are you considering the same?
A: No official request has come to me as of now. If they pursue that again, that is something that the court of the land will have to decide.
Q: When it comes to waving off or reducing the AGR dues for Vodafone Idea, would this be specific to one company, or whatever kind of resolution that you come forward with, a relief package that you come up with, it will be for everyone?
A: The Supreme Court judgement is qua Vodafone India. So, whatever we come up with has to be qua Vodafone India. We cannot cross the border of the Supreme Court judgment.
Q: So, you feel that the question of parity for the whole industry doesn't arise here.
A: As I mentioned, the Supreme Court has made a verdict on Vodafone India, and that's what is on our table today.
Q: So, very simply, put any company which wants similar relief, they will have to approach the Supreme Court?
A: Absolutely.
Q: I would like to ask you about some other developments that have been taking place within the telecom industry. This is with regard to the SIM binding initiative that you have just launched, and this is for all messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal; all of them have to comply with the SIM binding norms within 90 days. Why has this been done, and what is the larger intention? Because the industry saying that there should be a pause on this for some time to allow for wider consultation?
A: Let me say this, that technology is a wonderful unifier, and just look at both the breadth and depth of technology permeation in India. You have close to 1.2 billion mobile connections in our country. We have crossed a billion Internet connections in our country, and today, telecom is more than a digital highway. It really opens up the vista for every single person, urban or rural, north, south, east or west, from any part of our country to connect to the world, and therefore the digital carriageway is, even though it's an invisible carriageway, in many ways, is an even more, or rather bigger propellant of economic growth than possibly physical highways.
Having said that, it does also carry with it the ability for non-social forces to be active, and that certainly is in the area of fraud, in the area of cybercrime across the board. And I think it's extremely important to be able to, whilst providing the gateway for every single citizen in our country, also protecting them from cybercrime, from fraud and so on and so forth. And this is consistently an issue that has come up.
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The fact that I can insert a SIM in my mobile, get a WhatsApp connection, remove the SIM from my mobile and be without an identity, using it for cybercrime and cyber fraud. In the last fiscal alone, people across the length and breadth of our country have lost close to ₹22,800 crores to cyber fraud. It is my responsibility as telecom minister to protect my consumers, and this indeed is a step towards that.
As far as consultation is concerned, we have had five to six rounds of consultation, starting in early April into June, latest, even close to November, across the board, there has been a clarion call for this. From a security perspective as well, it is extremely important, and therefore, this is something that is the need of the hour. It also dovetails into all the other steps we have taken to protect our consumers, from Sanchar Saathi to Astra, across the board, and I think it's important to be able to know the identity of the person who is using these platforms.
Q: So clearly, no pause, because industry is seeking that when you think about large volumes of fraud originating from outside the country, fraudsters can obtain Indian SIM cards via mule accounts or remote devices, and therefore, there should be a pause. So, there is going to be no pause now.
A: There is always a view of looking at every protection clause as a glass half full or a glass half empty. So, what you are saying to me in your answer or your query to me is that there are other ways to do it. Does that mean that I should not circumvent the most obvious ways to do it? I don't buy that.
Q: Reports are coming in that the telecom ministry has asked private mobile phone makers to preload a government-owned cybersecurity app before selling phones. Now this is for the security of customers all around the country. Has that been done? Have the directions been issued? And what exactly is the expectation?
A: All of these tie in with the security of the customer. So, the Sanchar Saathi portal and the Sanchar Saathi app have done a yeoman service. And let me say this on television with you. Let me thank our consumers also, because the success of this could not have been possible unless there was a Jan Bhagidari approach. And it is due to that Jan Bhagidari approach that we've been able to protect our consumers. This is a step in that very direction. If you're able to load this on, then if I lose my phone immediately, that app is on my phone, which I can then register and make sure that my phone is not used by any fraudulent individual. It's a step to protect the consumers in the end. If they have lost their phone, they can then locate their phone in a much quicker way. And we've got many stories, we've traced almost seven and a half lakh phones, recovered almost six and a half lakh phones through this portal. And therefore, this will be a step in helping customers to be able to help themselves from a security perspective.
Q: So, is this mandatory, and by when do they have to comply, all phone makers in the country?
A: I believe that this is being issued in the next couple of days, and it will give people time to be able to adopt it.
Q: So, it will be mandatory, and everybody will have to comply within a certain timeline. Now, speaking on the issue of spam calls, there are days when you get more spam calls and genuine calls in a day. As Telecom Minister, how irritated do you get with this, and what can customers expect?
A: Let me tell you that this was certainly the case about six months ago. In the last six months, the steps that we've put in place, the Sanchar Saathi portal has had close to 10 crore hits. The Sanchar Saathi app has almost a crore hits. Our Astra software, in terms of recognising people who use the same credentials to get multiple lines, has disconnected close to 82 lakh people. Our financial fraud risk indicator has been adopted by the RBI and mandated all banks and financial institutions to be part of it. We have a digital intelligence unit with 750 stakeholders on board to be able to protect people's financial resources, because this digital expressway is now also used as a banking expressway. So, I think all of those steps are in place, which are yielding great dividends to the consumer.
Let me give you an example, Centralised International Out Roamer (CIOR), which was a calling line identification software that we put in place. We had close to 1.35 crore spoofed calls when we started it off. Today, those running these rackets, both domestically and internationally, have realised the efficacy of the software, and the number of spoof calls coming into India or from within India being generated has dropped from 1.35 crore a day to only 1.2 lakh a day. So, there's a 97% drop. Why? Because you put a firewall in place to protect your consumers, and that's also my job as telecom minister, which includes all of these elements; CIOR is only one element, all of these elements together are being put in place to protect my consumers.
Q: On the issue of satellite spectrum allocation, there are still some consultations going on between the Department of Telecom and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). By when can we expect the final decision and the spectrum to be awarded?
A: That depends on TRAI. We've sent a back reference to them. As soon as TRAI examines it and reverts back to us, we will be ready. But I also think that there is a justification for deeper, wider and extensive consultations, both between DoT and within TRAI, both have very deep reservoirs of knowledge, there must be that exchange, so that when we come out with a policy, everything has been explored.
The other option is to come out of the policy with alacrity, without doing your due diligence. And if you do that, then someone like you will have another 100 questions for me. So, I would rather wait and do my due diligence properly before I come out of the policy.
Q: What is the current point of difference which is taking time?
A: There is no point of difference. It's a point of extensive discussion and consultation in terms of what the rollout of the system should be. What should the percentage of AGR be? How do we ensure maximum inclusion? How do we make sure that those who are not connected get connected? So, all of those factors require deep consultation. You may aspire for a certain policy. There may be drawbacks to that policy that need to be examined. So, all of those dimensions need to be examined before you enunciate a policy.
Q: We read that the DoT is trying to impose a 5% annual spectrum usage charge on satellite internet providers. Will you be looking to give a discount to in order to connect hard-to-reach and remote places?
A: Let me not comment on it. There are a lot of ideas that are on the table within the department, from me. So, let that all be refined, let that be distilled, and we will come out with an efficacious policy.
Q: By your end, or do you think this is going to spill over?
A: Again, this is something that's on TRAI’s plate. I do not want to speak on behalf of them because they are a regulator, and I must respect their time and their judicious judgment based on the policy that we have come up with.
Q: Just a prima facie view on the demand for Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), a subsidy for user terminals for satellite broadband services. How important is that?
A: I think it's important to understand that DBN is a Nidhi, which is not individual-focused. It is area-focused. Telecom is an industry which is area-focused, not individual-focused. So, I don't think it would be either wise or pertinent to look at DBN as an alternative for that subsidy. As I mentioned to you, we are examining various modes for that inclusion. So, let us come out with a policy which may be sounder than that.
Q: To speak to you about the telecom Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. You recently gave an analysis, the results of the PLI scheme, and you said it has generated ₹96,000 crore in production, ₹18,100 crore worth of exports, and 30,000 new jobs. What about the next support for the industry in the form of PLI scheme, in the form of PLI 2.0? What is being considered
for the future?
A: Let us first get the granular results for PLI 1.0. We still have a year to go. Based on that, there has been a great fillip that has come to the telecom equipment manufacturing cluster based on this PLI 1.0, and then we will certainly see what else can be done going forward.
Q: Speaking about India Post, a project that you've been working on very keenly over the last two years. You want to make this a public logistics giant. In terms of gaining a market share in the delivery ecosystem in the country, what is the vision that you are working with?
A: The vision that we are working with is that this must become the logistics powerhouse of the country. We have close to 1.65 lakh points of presence. No distribution channel; may I dare say, not in India, but in the world, has that delivery pipeline that India Post has. The world is moving very rapidly towards the delivery of products to the doorstep. We believe that we can be a huge fulfilment aggregator on that, not only directly, but for other fulfilment agencies as well. So, mail and parcel, even though mail worldwide is going through decreasing volumes, we see that very targeted timeline-specific mails have a very important revenue niche still in India. We are coming out with two products. One is a 24-hour Speed Post, and one is a 48-hour Speed Post with guaranteed SLAs. We aim to capture close to about 20% and 40% of that market over the next five to six years, taking our cumulative market share to about eight to 10% in this space.
The same in parcels. Not only are we working at directly delivering parcels, but also becoming the fulfilment aggregator for a lot of front-end firms, like an Amazon or Shiprocket or Flipkart, and we've tied up with a number of them. Third, we are also looking at citizen-centric services, where through our 450 Passport Seva Kendra, we've garnered close to ₹250 to 300 crore worth of revenue over the last fiscal. Through our Aadhar Card Services, almost 13,000 centres are there, close to about another ₹250 crore in terms of revenue. Recently, we have tied up with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) to become the mutual fund distributor for some mutual funds, which will again become a revenue growth area.
So, five years down the road, we are looking at turning India Post from a cost centre into a profit centre fired mainly on three engines - mail, parcel and citizen-centric services. PLI and Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), both the financial sector verticals, which will remain a very fundamental part of our play, but will really become a fulfilment aggregator for delivery across the length and breadth of our country.
Q: Growth plans – what are your expectations from BSNL going forward? What can we expect in 2025-26 (FY26) and 2026-27 (FY27)?
A: BSNL is charging forward. Our H1 (first half of FY26) numbers, we have increased our topline by almost 14% compared to H1 of last year (2024-25 - FY25). Our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) operating margin for H1 of this year is up almost 34% compared to last year. Last year, we closed at ₹5,139 crore operating margin. This year, we hope to take it up to close to about ₹7,000 crore. So, on a cash basis, BSNL certainly has turned the corner.
There is a huge depreciation hit because of the ₹25,000 crore capex that we underwent last year, which is almost a two and a half thousand crore non-cash item on our profit and loss (P&L). So as long as my operating margin is increasing at a fast clip of greater than 50% year on year, that's something I am extremely satisfied about.
Q: My final question would be about your message to the industry, out of all these hearings related to Vodafone and AGR dues that have been taking place, while the government considers something for the future, and considers a resolution plan. For the overall health and the growth of the sector, what message would you leave us with?
A: Telecom industry is extremely robust in India, please look at the worldwide comms, and it's only India that is growing at such a fast clip in terms of customers, in terms of topline, in terms of bottomline at the cheapest cost. India is a great example of high volume, low cost. We are the lowest voice carrier in the world. We are the lowest data cost carrier in the world, at close to about ₹8.47 a GB, which is 11 cents. On the international pricing index, India is at 1.49 compared to a country like the United States of America, which is at 49. So, we are by far, are the cheapest provider of quality voice and data across the globe.
Watch the interview in the accompanying video
Scindia explained that six advisory groups covering the entire telecom value chain meet regularly with the ministry to identify issues and enable faster resolution, ensuring that reforms remain ongoing rather than one-time interventions.
Below are the edited excerpts from the interview.
Q: Could you give us your thinking on what needs to be done now for the telecom sector to make it easier for companies to get into India and make investments for the future? What can they expect in the weeks and months to come?
A: First of all, this is already a deregulated sector. Secondly, my process that we undertake in both the department of telecom and the department of post is iterative. We have set up six advisory groups in the telecom sector covering the whole value chain within telecom, from equipment manufacturing to service providers across the board. And those six advisory groups meet with me regularly. Regularly, issues are brought up, issues are facilitated, resolved, and we move on to the next items on the agenda.
For us, within the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as well as the Department of Posts, it's an ongoing process. For example, in the Department of Post, we are coming out with six new products across mails and parcels, developing SLAs - service level agreements in terms of responsiveness and delivery across those six products. So, it's an iterative process. If I can give you an analogy of a moving treadmill and never static.
Q: Let me ask you about the big development that has come from the Supreme Court, with the court saying that the government can go ahead and reassess all of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues of Vodafone Idea. Having said that, what is the government planning to do next? What are the options?
A: Post the judgment, which is what is being examined within the department today, we are also awaiting the formal request from Vodafone. Once that does come through, and we complete our evaluation internally, we will then put forward our recommendation of what can be done and what cannot be done. But that is still work in progress.
The judgment is a very recent one. Once the contours of that environment can be shaped, then we will certainly bring it into the public domain. But right now, the judgment needs to be evaluated, and against the judgment, what is possible, what is not possible, needs to be evaluated, which is what the Department of Telecom is working on right now.
Q: As per reports, the AGR dues of Vodafone amount to around ₹83,500 crore. Now, what are the contours of the package? How would you look to reduce the liabilities for Vodafone?
A: I will repeat what I just said. It's being worked on within the department at this point. It is too early for me to comment on that. Once the department comes up with what is possible and what is not possible, at that point in time, I will exercise my own opinion on that. But we are a little early in the process for me to make a comment on that at this point.
Q: When do you plan to complete this assessment and maybe come out with a decision?
A: I think in the next couple of weeks, we should be in a position to be ready to comment on it.
Q: So, maybe a final decision on how the government will give a relief package and the contours of that relief package will be clear by year's end?
A: Certainly, so hopefully yes.
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Q: The government is a 49% equity holder in Vodafone Idea. How do you see the growth of the company here on, what are your expectations, because you're a major stakeholder?
A: I do believe that they have a robust capex programme in place. They have also raised one of the largest public offerings in the last six to eight months in terms of their equity. They have done an FPO – follow-on public offer. There is certainly the overhang of the dues to the government of India. They are a very low-leverage company at this point, and the reason for that is that the dues of the government of India are considered as leverage by banks. So, I think once we can shape the contours of what can be done, it will also give them space to maybe raise some amount of debt.
The cash flows are fairly robust going forward as well, but certainly, they will look at investing in the network as well. But I think that's all for management to look at. We are a shareholder, and our responsibility ends at that. The management of the company, the future roadmap of the company, has to be fixed by the management and not by shareholders.
Q: You had told us in our recent interaction that you don't want to make this a public sector undertaking (PSU). Now, after the Supreme Court judgement, has the view changed?
A: Not at all.
Q: So, no further increase in state?
A: Not at all, the minute you cross the 49% Rubicon, you are then tethering on the border of making it a PSU. That certainly is not the intent of the Government of India.
Q: I would also try and understand from you, because there have been a lot of reports on the contours of this proposed relief package, and those reports said that the telecom ministry is looking to significantly reduce the AGR dues liability for Vodafone, and there is a plan to include in the relief package the interest penalty on interest and interest on penalties as well. Could you give us a confirmation?
A: I have said that to you, and I am saying it again - it's too early for me to comment. Let the Department of Telecom work on the contours of the judgment of the Supreme Court. Based on the contours of the judgment of the Supreme Court and the rubric that they have defined, see what is possible and not possible. It's too early for me to comment on that.
Q: Bharti Airtel has also requested the government for reassessment of all AGR dues. Are you considering the same?
A: No official request has come to me as of now. If they pursue that again, that is something that the court of the land will have to decide.
Q: When it comes to waving off or reducing the AGR dues for Vodafone Idea, would this be specific to one company, or whatever kind of resolution that you come forward with, a relief package that you come up with, it will be for everyone?
A: The Supreme Court judgement is qua Vodafone India. So, whatever we come up with has to be qua Vodafone India. We cannot cross the border of the Supreme Court judgment.
Q: So, you feel that the question of parity for the whole industry doesn't arise here.
A: As I mentioned, the Supreme Court has made a verdict on Vodafone India, and that's what is on our table today.
Q: So, very simply, put any company which wants similar relief, they will have to approach the Supreme Court?
A: Absolutely.
Q: I would like to ask you about some other developments that have been taking place within the telecom industry. This is with regard to the SIM binding initiative that you have just launched, and this is for all messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal; all of them have to comply with the SIM binding norms within 90 days. Why has this been done, and what is the larger intention? Because the industry saying that there should be a pause on this for some time to allow for wider consultation?
A: Let me say this, that technology is a wonderful unifier, and just look at both the breadth and depth of technology permeation in India. You have close to 1.2 billion mobile connections in our country. We have crossed a billion Internet connections in our country, and today, telecom is more than a digital highway. It really opens up the vista for every single person, urban or rural, north, south, east or west, from any part of our country to connect to the world, and therefore the digital carriageway is, even though it's an invisible carriageway, in many ways, is an even more, or rather bigger propellant of economic growth than possibly physical highways.
Having said that, it does also carry with it the ability for non-social forces to be active, and that certainly is in the area of fraud, in the area of cybercrime across the board. And I think it's extremely important to be able to, whilst providing the gateway for every single citizen in our country, also protecting them from cybercrime, from fraud and so on and so forth. And this is consistently an issue that has come up.
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The fact that I can insert a SIM in my mobile, get a WhatsApp connection, remove the SIM from my mobile and be without an identity, using it for cybercrime and cyber fraud. In the last fiscal alone, people across the length and breadth of our country have lost close to ₹22,800 crores to cyber fraud. It is my responsibility as telecom minister to protect my consumers, and this indeed is a step towards that.
As far as consultation is concerned, we have had five to six rounds of consultation, starting in early April into June, latest, even close to November, across the board, there has been a clarion call for this. From a security perspective as well, it is extremely important, and therefore, this is something that is the need of the hour. It also dovetails into all the other steps we have taken to protect our consumers, from Sanchar Saathi to Astra, across the board, and I think it's important to be able to know the identity of the person who is using these platforms.
Q: So clearly, no pause, because industry is seeking that when you think about large volumes of fraud originating from outside the country, fraudsters can obtain Indian SIM cards via mule accounts or remote devices, and therefore, there should be a pause. So, there is going to be no pause now.
A: There is always a view of looking at every protection clause as a glass half full or a glass half empty. So, what you are saying to me in your answer or your query to me is that there are other ways to do it. Does that mean that I should not circumvent the most obvious ways to do it? I don't buy that.
Q: Reports are coming in that the telecom ministry has asked private mobile phone makers to preload a government-owned cybersecurity app before selling phones. Now this is for the security of customers all around the country. Has that been done? Have the directions been issued? And what exactly is the expectation?
A: All of these tie in with the security of the customer. So, the Sanchar Saathi portal and the Sanchar Saathi app have done a yeoman service. And let me say this on television with you. Let me thank our consumers also, because the success of this could not have been possible unless there was a Jan Bhagidari approach. And it is due to that Jan Bhagidari approach that we've been able to protect our consumers. This is a step in that very direction. If you're able to load this on, then if I lose my phone immediately, that app is on my phone, which I can then register and make sure that my phone is not used by any fraudulent individual. It's a step to protect the consumers in the end. If they have lost their phone, they can then locate their phone in a much quicker way. And we've got many stories, we've traced almost seven and a half lakh phones, recovered almost six and a half lakh phones through this portal. And therefore, this will be a step in helping customers to be able to help themselves from a security perspective.
Q: So, is this mandatory, and by when do they have to comply, all phone makers in the country?
A: I believe that this is being issued in the next couple of days, and it will give people time to be able to adopt it.
Q: So, it will be mandatory, and everybody will have to comply within a certain timeline. Now, speaking on the issue of spam calls, there are days when you get more spam calls and genuine calls in a day. As Telecom Minister, how irritated do you get with this, and what can customers expect?
A: Let me tell you that this was certainly the case about six months ago. In the last six months, the steps that we've put in place, the Sanchar Saathi portal has had close to 10 crore hits. The Sanchar Saathi app has almost a crore hits. Our Astra software, in terms of recognising people who use the same credentials to get multiple lines, has disconnected close to 82 lakh people. Our financial fraud risk indicator has been adopted by the RBI and mandated all banks and financial institutions to be part of it. We have a digital intelligence unit with 750 stakeholders on board to be able to protect people's financial resources, because this digital expressway is now also used as a banking expressway. So, I think all of those steps are in place, which are yielding great dividends to the consumer.
Let me give you an example, Centralised International Out Roamer (CIOR), which was a calling line identification software that we put in place. We had close to 1.35 crore spoofed calls when we started it off. Today, those running these rackets, both domestically and internationally, have realised the efficacy of the software, and the number of spoof calls coming into India or from within India being generated has dropped from 1.35 crore a day to only 1.2 lakh a day. So, there's a 97% drop. Why? Because you put a firewall in place to protect your consumers, and that's also my job as telecom minister, which includes all of these elements; CIOR is only one element, all of these elements together are being put in place to protect my consumers.
Q: On the issue of satellite spectrum allocation, there are still some consultations going on between the Department of Telecom and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). By when can we expect the final decision and the spectrum to be awarded?
A: That depends on TRAI. We've sent a back reference to them. As soon as TRAI examines it and reverts back to us, we will be ready. But I also think that there is a justification for deeper, wider and extensive consultations, both between DoT and within TRAI, both have very deep reservoirs of knowledge, there must be that exchange, so that when we come out with a policy, everything has been explored.
The other option is to come out of the policy with alacrity, without doing your due diligence. And if you do that, then someone like you will have another 100 questions for me. So, I would rather wait and do my due diligence properly before I come out of the policy.
Q: What is the current point of difference which is taking time?
A: There is no point of difference. It's a point of extensive discussion and consultation in terms of what the rollout of the system should be. What should the percentage of AGR be? How do we ensure maximum inclusion? How do we make sure that those who are not connected get connected? So, all of those factors require deep consultation. You may aspire for a certain policy. There may be drawbacks to that policy that need to be examined. So, all of those dimensions need to be examined before you enunciate a policy.
Q: We read that the DoT is trying to impose a 5% annual spectrum usage charge on satellite internet providers. Will you be looking to give a discount to in order to connect hard-to-reach and remote places?
A: Let me not comment on it. There are a lot of ideas that are on the table within the department, from me. So, let that all be refined, let that be distilled, and we will come out with an efficacious policy.
Q: By your end, or do you think this is going to spill over?
A: Again, this is something that's on TRAI’s plate. I do not want to speak on behalf of them because they are a regulator, and I must respect their time and their judicious judgment based on the policy that we have come up with.
Q: Just a prima facie view on the demand for Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), a subsidy for user terminals for satellite broadband services. How important is that?
A: I think it's important to understand that DBN is a Nidhi, which is not individual-focused. It is area-focused. Telecom is an industry which is area-focused, not individual-focused. So, I don't think it would be either wise or pertinent to look at DBN as an alternative for that subsidy. As I mentioned to you, we are examining various modes for that inclusion. So, let us come out with a policy which may be sounder than that.
Q: To speak to you about the telecom Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. You recently gave an analysis, the results of the PLI scheme, and you said it has generated ₹96,000 crore in production, ₹18,100 crore worth of exports, and 30,000 new jobs. What about the next support for the industry in the form of PLI scheme, in the form of PLI 2.0? What is being considered
for the future?
A: Let us first get the granular results for PLI 1.0. We still have a year to go. Based on that, there has been a great fillip that has come to the telecom equipment manufacturing cluster based on this PLI 1.0, and then we will certainly see what else can be done going forward.
Q: Speaking about India Post, a project that you've been working on very keenly over the last two years. You want to make this a public logistics giant. In terms of gaining a market share in the delivery ecosystem in the country, what is the vision that you are working with?
A: The vision that we are working with is that this must become the logistics powerhouse of the country. We have close to 1.65 lakh points of presence. No distribution channel; may I dare say, not in India, but in the world, has that delivery pipeline that India Post has. The world is moving very rapidly towards the delivery of products to the doorstep. We believe that we can be a huge fulfilment aggregator on that, not only directly, but for other fulfilment agencies as well. So, mail and parcel, even though mail worldwide is going through decreasing volumes, we see that very targeted timeline-specific mails have a very important revenue niche still in India. We are coming out with two products. One is a 24-hour Speed Post, and one is a 48-hour Speed Post with guaranteed SLAs. We aim to capture close to about 20% and 40% of that market over the next five to six years, taking our cumulative market share to about eight to 10% in this space.
The same in parcels. Not only are we working at directly delivering parcels, but also becoming the fulfilment aggregator for a lot of front-end firms, like an Amazon or Shiprocket or Flipkart, and we've tied up with a number of them. Third, we are also looking at citizen-centric services, where through our 450 Passport Seva Kendra, we've garnered close to ₹250 to 300 crore worth of revenue over the last fiscal. Through our Aadhar Card Services, almost 13,000 centres are there, close to about another ₹250 crore in terms of revenue. Recently, we have tied up with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) to become the mutual fund distributor for some mutual funds, which will again become a revenue growth area.
So, five years down the road, we are looking at turning India Post from a cost centre into a profit centre fired mainly on three engines - mail, parcel and citizen-centric services. PLI and Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), both the financial sector verticals, which will remain a very fundamental part of our play, but will really become a fulfilment aggregator for delivery across the length and breadth of our country.
Q: Growth plans – what are your expectations from BSNL going forward? What can we expect in 2025-26 (FY26) and 2026-27 (FY27)?
A: BSNL is charging forward. Our H1 (first half of FY26) numbers, we have increased our topline by almost 14% compared to H1 of last year (2024-25 - FY25). Our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) operating margin for H1 of this year is up almost 34% compared to last year. Last year, we closed at ₹5,139 crore operating margin. This year, we hope to take it up to close to about ₹7,000 crore. So, on a cash basis, BSNL certainly has turned the corner.
There is a huge depreciation hit because of the ₹25,000 crore capex that we underwent last year, which is almost a two and a half thousand crore non-cash item on our profit and loss (P&L). So as long as my operating margin is increasing at a fast clip of greater than 50% year on year, that's something I am extremely satisfied about.
Q: My final question would be about your message to the industry, out of all these hearings related to Vodafone and AGR dues that have been taking place, while the government considers something for the future, and considers a resolution plan. For the overall health and the growth of the sector, what message would you leave us with?
A: Telecom industry is extremely robust in India, please look at the worldwide comms, and it's only India that is growing at such a fast clip in terms of customers, in terms of topline, in terms of bottomline at the cheapest cost. India is a great example of high volume, low cost. We are the lowest voice carrier in the world. We are the lowest data cost carrier in the world, at close to about ₹8.47 a GB, which is 11 cents. On the international pricing index, India is at 1.49 compared to a country like the United States of America, which is at 49. So, we are by far, are the cheapest provider of quality voice and data across the globe.
Watch the interview in the accompanying video
First Published: Dec 1, 2025 6:25 PM IST
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