Communication technology has brought economies of scale, North-eastern states will be growth engines: Scindia
Scindia, who is also minister for development of the North-eastern region, also said that states in that region will be the growth engines of the country.
Speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025 in New Delhi, Scindia said he was working on a plan to revamp the postal service and incorporate more digital elements into the work done by postal officials.
"India is known as a digital-first economy. And leading that digital-first economy has been the telecom revolution in the country," said union minister Scindia. He added that the number of mobile subscribers in the country had risen to 1.2 billion this year, from 800 million a decade ago, and that the number of internet users had spiked to 974 million this year from about 250 million a decade ago.
Scindia attributed this growth to economies of scale, where manufacturers produce their goods and services in huge volumes to lower costs. He said the cost of voice calls had fallen to 0.03 paise per minute today, from over ₹ 16 per minute in the late 2000s.
He added that the cost of one gigabyte of data cost ₹ 287 a decade ago, and that it costs about ₹ 9 today. "There is a 97% reduction in cost of communication over the last 11 years," he said, adding that India will become the data capital of the world in the years to come.
Union minister Scindia said technology would also bolster the department of post, which has over 164,000 points of presence in the country, and could be identified as the largest distribution network in the world. "It is our resolve to convert the department of post from a cost centre into a profit centre over the next five years," he said.
Additionally, growth in the North-eastern region will be a driver towards India's ambition to become a developed country by 2047. The eight North eastern states - Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, and Nagaland -- have a decadal GDP growth rate of 12-13%.
This comes days after the ministry of development for the North-eastern region received a promise of investments worth ₹ 4.32 billion trillion in the Rising North East Summit 2025. These investments came from conglomerates, industry leaders, state-run firms, and other private investors, after the ministry conducted roadshows to attract investment into these eight states.
To ensure effective implementation of the proposed investment, the ministry has set up eight sectoral task forces focusing on agriculture, sports, investment promotion, tourism, economic corridors, infrastructure, textiles and handicrafts, and animal husbandry. Each northeastern state will also develop its own sectoral roadmap, Scindia had said on 25 May.
Infrastructure growth in the North-eastern region has helped these states grow faster, said Scindia. He illustrated that the government has constructed 6,000km of national highways in the last decade in the region, compared to about 10,000 km in the preceding 65 years. He also said similar growth was seen in the areas of aviation and airport infrastructure, as well as railways.
Highlighting that trust is a key component of India's growth story, Scindia said: "The India I bring to you today, is an India where trust is a system, where every policy, every rupee spent, every kilometer of road built, every metre of optical fibre laid, is a statement of intent.
India today has risen on the world stage. Therefore I will not speak to you on abstract values. I will speak to you with regard to delivery, with regard to measurable progress, with regard to outcomes, which inspire trust."
He said trust was a representation of five pillar of growth -- technology, reach, upliftment, scalability, and tradition and togetherness.
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News18
17-07-2025
- News18
The Italian Connection Of Madhya Pradesh: Scindias & The House Of Filose
The story of the Filose family in India begins with founder Michael Filose who came from Naples to Calcutta in 1770 AD and entered service of Maharaja Mahadji Scindia 4 years later It was published in Allen's Indian Mail and Official Gazette London, on March 25, 1876, that 'it is said that Sindia (Scindia) has just given a lakh of rupees—nominally €10,000—to the architect—we believe, an Italian—who built the palace… Signor Filose is said to be a younger member of the Filose family, descended from Jean Baptiste, and still retaining its pure European descent. This family has, during four or five generations, furnished faithful servants to the Gwalior Princes. The present Signor Filose was sent to Europe to study, since when he has been employed on all manner of duties, having no connection with his particular art." Between Mughals and the Medicis The palace referred to above is the magnificent Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, India, a fine specimen of European architecture and art in the heart of India. This palace complex was designed and built by Michael Filose after returning from a study tour in Europe. Michael was addressed as 'Mukhel Sahib" by Indians, and his grandfather and namesake, Michael Filose, a military commander in Scindia's army, had committed suicide to prove his loyalty to Maharaja Daulatrao Scindia. About Mukhel Sahib, founding member of the present ruling party in India, the BJP, and a prominent member of the Scindia family, Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia, and historian Manohar Malgaonkar wrote, 'He was the descendant of Jean Baptiste (possibly Giovanni, who changed his name to adapt to the French milieu of the Scindias' army), an Italian gentleman who had taken service under Mahadji Scindia as an officer of the kampoos, and who in Daulatrao's time had become one of the principal supporters of the regime. As such, it was perhaps natural that Mukhel Sahib should have derived his inspiration mainly from Europe. Nonetheless, the structure he put up shows evidence of an earnest desire to synthesise the style of the Mughals with that of the Medicis." The Italian 'Nabobs" The Filose family loyally served the Maratha Scindias for several generations as noblemen known within the Maratha administration as 'Sardars," who had significant power in the Scindia kingdom. When the last Filose in Gwalior, Colonel Augustine Filose, who was educated in England as a barrister and, on his return to India, was appointed in the Judicial Department and later as Private Secretary to Maharani Scindia, emigrated to the homeland of his family, Italy; he left his property to the members of the Scindia family he and his ancestors had served. This Neapolitan family is especially renowned in Maratha history because of the wide spectrum of their contributions, from architecture to coin minting and poetry, and from wars to diplomacy and more. Frank Anthony, a prominent Anglo-Indian who contributed to the making of the Indian Constitution, wrote about the Filose family: 'One of the most distinguished Anglo-Indian (people of European ancestry from paternal side) families of this period, the members of which achieved distinction both as soldiers and scholars, was the Filose family of Gwalior." From Naples to Calcutta The story of the Filose family in India begins with the founder of the family, a gentleman named Michael Filose, who came from Naples to Calcutta in 1770 A.D. and entered the service of Maharaja Mahadji Scindia four years later. Ultimately he found service with Benoit de Boigne, the Savoyard commander in Mahadji's army; he ultimately commanded a corps under Scindia that numbered eleven battalions. Mahadji trusted him so much that when he went to meet the Prime Minister (Peshwa) of the Maratha Confederacy in Pune, he took along with him Filose and Dutch Hessing. He had two sons, Jean Baptiste (addressed by Indians as 'Jan-Batees") and Fidele by an Indian lady. He fought along with Mahadji Jean Baptiste against the British and was made the commander of Delhi by Mahadji's son Daulatrao, and his brother Fidele was made commander of Haryana by the same king. Jean Baptiste was perhaps the only military adventurer of Hindustan, according to Frank Anthony, who survived the disaster of 1803 when the British defeated Daulatrao Scindia on many fronts. He had a colourful career. Before Scindia's defeat by the British, he used to go out on 'kingdom taking' expeditions. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the State Army, which consisted of thirty thousand regular sepoys and the famous artillery that had remained with him since the days of de Boigne. Like his father, who had helped humble the Rajputs for his employer, Mahadji Scindia, Jean Baptiste played a major role in securing extensive territories from several small Rajput chiefs, especially from the Khichis of Raghogarh for his employer, Daulat Rao Scindia; he also conquered Sabalgarh for him in 1809. Sheopur was given as a Jagir (fiefdom) by Maharaja Daulatrao Scindia to him in 1803. In 1811, while in the service of Scindia, he conquered the village of Ondila from Rajput Khichis and named it Isagarh in the honour of 'Isa-Masih' (Jesus Christ). He also conquered the famous Indian textile production hub, the city of Chanderi, for his employer, who made him the governor of this city. Jean Baptiste served the Scindia House for 37 years and died in 1846. He built up a reputation not only as a great soldier but as a great scholar of Persian. In 1835, with his generous aid, Bishop Pezzoni extended Akbar's Church in Agra westward; this church was the first Catholic Church of Agra, and it was the Cathedral of Agra till 1848. In 1841, John permitted a Catholic school for boys to be established in his property at Jamuna Bagh, Agra, and made a donation of Rs 1 lakh (a very large sum for that time) for the construction of this school. The foundation stone was laid (in 1846) by Major O'Gorman of the East India Company. This school was named St. Peter's College and continues to be functional in Agra even today. According to Frank Anthony, the greatest poet the family produced was Sir Florence Filose. Ram Babu Saxena wrote in his book European and Indo-European Poets of Urdu and Persian that 'as a poet, Sir Florence is a distinct success. His dewan was published under the title of Dewan Matloob in 1286 A.H. 1869 A.D. and was printed in Nizami Press, Cawnpore. It is a rarity now, and I secured a copy from Mr. Filose, Assistant Private Secretary to His Highness the Maharaja Scindhia. As a poet, Sir Florence has displayed considerable powers. His verses suffer from no defects. They have lucidity, flow, grace, and spontaneity. He shows considerable technique and mastery over language. He is clever in the use of the various artifices. His performance is creditable. He deserves a high place in Anglo-Indian poetry and is entitled to be mentioned with respect as an Urdu poet." Florence was born in 1829 and died in the Gwalior State at the ripe age of 83. He married one Mary Anne, and both of them were buried in the Filose Chapel at Gwalior. Florence Filose had two sons, Col. Albert Filose and Major Clement Filose. Sir Florence's elder brother was Col. Sir Peter Filose, who died in Gwalior on July 4, 1872. The youngest brother was Lt. Col. Sir Michael Filose, who was born on the 18th April, 1836, and died on the 5th February, 1925. He served under four Maharajas. The Pope conferred awards on members of the Filose family; for example, Florence Filoseand Clement Filose were made The Knight Commanders of St. Gregory, and Michael Filose II was made The Knight Commander of St. Sylvester. The Legacy top videos View all There are no Filose living in Gwalior anymore, but their works and contributions to the expansion of the Scindia kingdom have made them an essential part of Maratha history. Even though they were Italians, they understood very well the Maratha way of governance, and Florence was even an Urdu poet. Even today, when visitors visit the Jai Vilas Palace and ask who built this magnificent palace, the answer they get is 'Michael Filose," and with respect within the palace is kept the bust of this 'Italian Maratha architect." The Scindias did not treat them as outsiders; rather, they made them a part of their elite aristocracy; they had hereditary titles and fiefdoms given to them by this Maratha family. Information about this family is carefully preserved in the archives of the Scindia Research Centre that this author heads. The story of the Filosefamily teaches the importance of intercultural dialogue and peaceful coexistence, a message that is very important for the world. The author is Head, Scindia Research Centre, Gwalior. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. tags : Gwalior madhya pradesh Scindias view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 02, 2025, 13:47 IST News opinion Opinion | The Italian Connection Of Madhya Pradesh: Scindias & The House Of Filose Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Time of India
India aiming to contribute 10% of global 6G patents: Scindia
Kanpur/Bengaluru: Union minister of communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said that the govt aims to foster next-generation communication technologies, such as 6G, by establishing robust policy frameworks, boosting research funding, and allocating spectrum in a timely manner to facilitate innovation and testing. Reviewing the progress of Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) along with Neeraj Mittal, secretary, telecom, the minister said that the Bharat 6G alliance should create a focused, strategic and clear roadmap for driving the innovation in 6G technology. "Guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji's vision, I highlighted how India is not just advancing with indigenous 4G/5G stacks but also aiming to contribute 10% of global 6G patents, placing the nation at the forefront of telecom innovation," Scindia later posted on X. The event included comprehensive presentations from working group chairpersons, outlining actionable plans and key technological advancements. Among them was Prof Rohit Budhiraja, vice chair of B6GA and professor in the department of electrical engineering at IIT-Kanpur, who delivered a presentation titled "Global 6G Standardisation". He shared India's growing contributions to international standard-setting bodies such as 3GPP and ITU, and emphasized the importance of aligning national efforts with global benchmarks. Drawing from India's active participation in global standard-setting forums such as the 3GPP workshop in Korea and the TSG RAN meeting in Prague, Prof Budhiraja outlined how India is shaping discussions on critical 6G design goals including ubiquitous coverage, AI integration, security, and energy efficiency. He emphasized that 6G must inherently support both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, and presented frameworks for integrating AI-as-a-Service and post-quantum cryptography into 6G networks. He said, "Artificial Intelligence and 6G share a symbiotic relationship. While AI will make 6G networks more secure, efficient, and adaptive, from threat detection to energy optimization, 6G will, in turn, serve as a foundational platform to scale AI applications through AI-as-a-Service, seamless data handling, and intelligent connectivity. At IIT-Kanpur, our work is actively shaping this intersection, building on insights from 5G Advanced and pushing the frontiers for what 6G can enable. " The government of India unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document in March 2023, laying the strategic foundation for India's leadership in the sixth generation (6G) of wireless systems. To operationalize this vision, the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) was established as a multi-stakeholder platform, uniting academia, industry, startups, and public institutions. The Bharat 6G Alliance is a collaborative initiative, designed to create a comprehensive and future-ready 6G ecosystem in India. Its focus on R&D, innovation, and standardization is central to the national mission of making India a global leader in 6G.
India Gazette
11-07-2025
- India Gazette
India charts bold path to global 6G leadership, Minister Scindia reviews progress in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 11 (ANI): Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia chaired a key meeting with the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) during his Bengaluru visit this week, where he addressed researchers, industry leaders, and global partners, outlining a bold roadmap for India's leadership in next-generation telecom technologies. Minister Scindia noted that for the first time in history, India is playing a seminal role in setting global telecom standards. This transformation, he said, is being powered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Anusandhan, Atmanirbharta, and Make in India - Make for the World. India is aiming to contribute 10 per cent of global 6G patents, supported by Rs 239 crore in R&D funding across 111 projects. The Minister highlighted that 99 per cent of mobile phones are now made in India, telecom equipment import substitution has reached 60 per cent, and the country has developed its own indigenous 4G and 5G stacks -- all of which position India as a frontrunner in telecom innovation. Speaking about the Bharat 6G Alliance's strength, Minister Scindia called it 'a group with the capability akin to a million GPUs put together,' and praised its seven expert working groups and over 80 active members for transforming the Alliance into a vibrant hub of innovation and global collaboration. In the interactive session, the Minister urged all stakeholders to take ownership of the 6G mission. 'In PM Modi's India, the government is not in the driver's seat -- you are,' he said. He called for the preparation of a 3-4 year roadmap, broken into monthly targets, and subject to bi-annual reviews to maintain momentum and ensure impactful execution. He emphasised that the Bharat 6G Alliance must emerge as the ecosystem builder that helps India shift from being a knowledge destination to a global telecom superpower. Yesterday's engagement follows the first joint meeting with all seven working groups of the Alliance held in September 2024, also chaired by the Minister. The groups span critical domains including Spectrum, Technology, Devices, Use Cases, Green and Sustainability, Applications, and Outreach -- all essential to the creation of a robust and future-ready 6G ecosystem in India. (ANI)
