India's monumental stride in digital advancement: Fiber to Future
Broadband India Summit 2025 Concludes in New Delhi, Emphasising Digital Empowerment
The 3rd edition of the Broadband India Summit 2025 concluded today at Hotel Shangri-La, New Delhi. The summit, held under the theme, "Connecting the Unconnected: Bridging the Gaps with Wireline, Wireless, and Satellite Solutions," brought together influential policymakers, telecom operators, infrastructure enablers, and tech pioneers.
Tata Play Fiber, a leading player in the broadband industry, emphasised its commitment to digital empowerment. Sanjay Agrawal, Director of Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless (DCPW), Ministry of Home Affairs, was the Guest of Honour, while Vivek Banzal, Director (CFA) of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., served as the Chief Guest.
In his address, Mr. Sachin Deshpande, CTO of Tata Play Fiber, highlighted the company's expansion across cities and towns to ensure world-class internet access for every household, business, and learner. He stated that fast and reliable internet is the backbone of modern life in the digital-first world.
Shri Manoj Tandon, Director (Project, Operations & Maintenance) of RailTel Corporation of India Ltd., highlighted that over 50% of RailWire subscribers are from semi-urban and rural areas. This underscores the importance of bridging the digital divide and ensuring that everyone benefits from the digital revolution.
The summit was supported and partnered by several organisations, including WiSig Networks, Commscope, RANext Technologies, Techspire Services, 6D Technologies, Astrome Technologies, LMES iConnectWe, Shaildhar Telecom, Saartek, Syrotech Networks, Communications Today, The Marcom Avenue, ITU-APT Foundation of India, Indian Space Association, and Broadband India Forum.
Several key discussions took place during the summit, focusing on ultra-fast connectivity and AI collaboration, digital transformation through AI and fiber, and innovation and investment.
In the realm of ultra-fast connectivity and AI collaboration, Tata Communications announced a strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to establish a high-capacity network in India. This network is designed to support next-generation AI applications with ultra-low latency, enhancing network performance and scalability crucial for compute-intensive AI and ML workloads.
India is rapidly advancing with 5G technology, setting the stage for breakthroughs in healthcare, education, and manufacturing. The vision for Bharat 6G aims to drive the development of next-generation connectivity technologies.
AI is transforming various sectors, including retail, pharma, and telecom. In India, AI is being used to accelerate drug discovery and enhance retail logistics. Initiatives like the BharatNet project are extending fiber internet to over 214,000 villages, improving connectivity in remote areas and supporting digital inclusion.
The Indian government is planning a $4 billion investment to connect every village with high-speed broadband, aiming for 100% telecom connectivity. India is poised to play a bigger role on the global stage, leveraging AI to democratize knowledge and drive innovation.
The summit also touched upon satellite broadband, with Mr. Shashi Dharan, Managing Director of Bharat Exhibitions, announcing that commercial services are expected by November or December 2025.
Other eminent panelists and speakers included Shri Arun Agrawal (DDG Satellite, Department of Telecommunications), Smt. Padma Jaiswal (IAS, Secretary to Government to the state & Union Territories and Secretary, Government of Puducherry), Mr. Sanjay Kawale (Manager - Products, Commscope India Pvt. Ltd.), Mr. Rajesh Kaul (Founder & Director, LMES iConnectWe), Mr. Vivek Narayan (Former DDG DS, DoT), Shri R. Shakya (Addl. DG, Haryana LSA & Circle Head, Department of Telecommunications), Mr. Laxminarayan R. Bhat (Head of Product Management, Astrome Technologies), Shri Khandagale Dhammapal Anil (Director Satellite Finance, Wireless Planning & Finance Wing, Department of Telecommunications), Mr. Alok Gupta (Founder & CEO, Pyramid Cyber Security & Forensics), Mr. Debashish Bhattacharya (Sr. Dy. Director General, Broadband India Forum), Shri Ram Sajiwan Singh (DDG IOT, Telecommunication Engineering Centre), Mr. Vinish Bawa (Partner & Telecom Sector Leader, PwC India), Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd, Director General, Indian Space Association), Mr. Yugal Kishore Sharma (Founder & CEO, MyNEXT Broadband Services), Mr. Dharmender Khajuria (National Head - Network Partnerships, Bharti Airtel), Mr. Rajiv Mehla (Chief Business Officer, RANext Technologies), and Mr. Sanjay Kawale (Manager - Products, Commscope India Pvt. Ltd.).
Puneet Garg, President and Group Wireline CTO of Reliance Jio, gave an operator keynote address. The summit concluded with a consensus on the importance of bridging the digital divide and ensuring that everyone in India benefits from the digital revolution.
[1] Tata Communications and AWS Collaborate to Establish High-Capacity Network in India: [Link to Source] [2] India Poised to Play a Bigger Role on the Global Stage: [Link to Source] [3] Bharat 6G Vision to Drive Next-Generation Connectivity Technologies in India: [Link to Source] [4] AI Transforming Sectors in India: [Link to Source] [5] BharatNet Project Extending Fiber Internet to Remote Areas in India: [Link to Source]
- The importance of bridging the digital divide and ensuring that everyone in India benefits from the digital revolution was emphasized in the consensus at the Broadband India Summit 2025.
- Tata Play Fiber, recognizing the backbone of modern life in the digital-first world, plans to expand its world-class internet access across cities and towns for households, businesses, and learners as part of its commitment to digital empowerment.
- Collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Tata Communications aims to establish a high-capacity network in India, designed to support next-generation AI applications with ultra-low latency, contributing to the digital transformation through AI and fiber across the business sector.
