The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2024, observed annually on May 17, was hosted by Broadband India Forum (BIF) and Bharat Exhibitions (BE) on May 15, 2024, at Hotel Le Meridien in New Delhi. The event’s theme, “Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development,” underscored the critical role of digital technology in addressing global challenges.
This year’s theme, aligned with the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) 2024-2027 Strategic Plan for universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation, provided a platform to celebrate and promote digital innovation. WTISD serves as a poignant reminder that 2.6 billion people worldwide still lack internet access, missing out on the transformative potential of digital connectivity. The event aimed to share insights on emerging technologies, drive innovation for sustainable development, and forge local, regional, and global partnerships to accelerate progress.
India’s proactive Digital India initiative, launched in 2015, exemplifies the commitment to digital innovation. The initiative focuses on providing digital infrastructure, on-demand services, and citizen empowerment. Leveraging Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), including mobile, social media, cloud computing, and data analytics, the Digital India Initiative delivers citizen-centric, business-centric, and government-centric services. Speakers at the event highlighted the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to address critical issues such as the digital divide, and emphasized India’s role in deploying innovation in technology, infrastructure, policy, and service delivery models.
The event featured distinguished guests, including Chief Guest Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman of TRAI, who delivered the keynote address. Aruna Sundararajan, Chairperson of BIF, provided the introductory remarks. Special Guests of Honour included Manish Sinha, Member (Finance), Digital Communications Commission, Department of Telecommunications, and Akhilesh Srivastava, Advisor, ITDA, Uttarakhand. ITU representatives, Kishore Babu G.S.C Yerraballa and Radhacharan Shakya, also gave special addresses.
Anil Kumar Lahoti highlighted that digital innovation should focus on enhancing health, education, economic, and industrial growth. He emphasized the need to bridge the digital divide and improve connectivity in urban and rural areas. Lahoti noted India’s emergence as the second-largest mobile manufacturer and market globally, with an 87 percent fintech adoption rate. He also mentioned that the new Telecom Bill would bring significant changes to the telecom sector.
In a recorded message, ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan-Martin remarked, “No matter how far back in time we look, or how fast technology moves, innovation has always been a uniquely human endeavor.” Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunications Development Bureau, ITU, in another recorded message, praised India’s efforts in bringing digital connectivity and making technology affordable to the masses.
Aruna Sundararajan, in her introductory speech, noted the rapid digital transformation, stating, “Today we have reached a stage where everything is becoming digital. This wasn’t so some years back. Ideas and intelligence are in the process of becoming commoditized, thanks to AI. Clearly, we are moving to a world that’s hard to imagine; yet it is soon going to be a reality; and underlying all this will be Telecommunications.”
Manish Sinha underscored the purpose of telecommunication systems in facilitating information exchange and emphasized the conducive ecosystem for digital advancement in India. He stressed the importance of delivering broadband to every citizen in the country.
