NEW DELHI— Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Thursday emphasized the need for India to transition from serving as the world’s back office to becoming its innovation engine. His remarks came during the inauguration of the VTU-VRIF-TCOE Hub and Spoke of Excellence in Bengaluru.
The newly launched Center of Excellence (CoE) is a collaborative initiative between Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), the Visvesvaraya Research and Innovation Foundation (VRIF), and Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCOE) India. The center is designed to create a cutting-edge innovation ecosystem focused on emerging technologies.
The CoE will concentrate on advanced domains such as 5G and 6G communications, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), quantum computing, healthcare technologies, and other frontier fields.
Scindia credited India’s rapid digital transformation to the forward-looking policies implemented by the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Eleven years ago, we had 250 million internet users. Today, we have over 974 million internet subscribers and 940 million broadband users,” Scindia said. “We’re building the world’s largest optical fiber network — an invisible digital highway that will visibly transform the lives of 1.4 billion people.”
He noted India’s shift from a services-based IT economy to a global product innovation hub.
“We once imported 90 percent of our mobile phones. Today, India is exporting mobile phones worth over ₹2.5 lakh crore (approximately $30 billion), including to the United States,” he said. “It’s time we evolve from being the world’s back office to becoming its innovation engine.”
The Center aims to serve as a launchpad for deep-tech research and startup incubation, driven by strong collaboration between academia and industry.
With more than 20 startups and 30 academic institutions already involved, the initiative is positioned to scale innovation across sectors. Leading tech firms such as Keysight Technologies, QpiAI, and Televerge are supporting the project, while workforce development efforts are being guided by the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC).
Scindia also highlighted the broader shift in governance philosophy under Prime Minister Modi.
“In the last 11 years, PM Modi has fundamentally redefined the role of government — from being a regulator to becoming a facilitator. This Center is a direct reflection of that change,” he added. (Source: IANS)
