OSP guidelines will help Indian IT service industry: PM Modi at IMC 2020

New Delhi, Dec 08: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday delivered the inaugural address at the virtual India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020 today (December 8). IMC 2020 is being organised by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)

During the inaugural ceremony, PM Modi said, "It is important to think and plan how do we improve lives with the upcoming technology revolution. Better healthcare, better education, better information and opportunities for our farmers are some of the goals we can work towards."

PM Modi also said that it is because of mobile technology that people are seeing billions of cashless transactions which boost formalisation and transparency. It is because of mobile technology that people were enable smooth contactless interface on toll booths.

"Due to technological upgradation, we have a culture of replacing handsets and gadgets frequently. Can the industry form a task-force to think of a better way of handling the electronic waste and create a circular economy?" PM Modi questioned.

Earlier, in a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said that the IMC 2020 will be held from December 8-10, 2020.

The theme for IMC 2020 is "Inclusive Innovation - Smart, Secure, Sustainable" and it aims to align to the prime minister's vision to promote Atmanirbhar Bharat, digital inclusivity, and sustainable development, entrepreneurship and innovation.

The IMC 2020 also aims to drive foreign and local investments, encourage Research and Development in the telecom and emerging technology sectors, the PMO said.

This initiative will see the participation from various ministries, telecom CEOs, global CEOs, and domain experts in 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Data Analytics, Cloud and Edge computing, Blockchain, Cyber-security, Smart Cities and Automation.