Will make every focused attempt for MTNL & BSNL revival: Prasad

New Delhi: Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad is ready with this 100-day plan to accomplish the mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India an export house of electronic products. Notably, India has already become the second global player in the mobile manufacturing sector.

While outlining the 100-day agenda of his ministries, Prasad told Millennium Post that he would make every focused attempt for the revival of MTNL and BSNL. "The ministry will be moving a cabinet note in that direction very soon as the details have been worked out. I've discussed every issue in the eight meetings in this regard," he said.

"There are three reasons for making this initiative. Firstly, both the PSUs are national assets. Secondly, they operate in strategic areas, including defence and home affairs. In case of need such as natural calamities like cyclones in South India to Odisha, they are in the forefront of giving free services during those prime times," Prasad said, adding that the total package is being worked out and the government will also try to ensure that there is the least pressure on the government.

Explaining about the package, the Union Minister said, "The package is all about entire rehabilitation and making it more competitive." Prasad also appealed BSNL and MTNL employees to be cooperative, professional and learn to live in today's competitive world.

"Our government supports competition. Some elements of disruptions do come, but as I said in the Parliament that it's the competition that has brought down the prices of mobiles and data in the across the world. So they (MTNL & BSNL) have to adopt the competitive work culture," he said, adding the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will ensure fair competition in the world.

"Second point that I want to highlight is that the telecom sector under stress for a long time. So, I have proposed to hold a meeting with all the top telecom service providers. Also, I've constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan to look into the entire issue of rationalisation to remove ambiguities, etc in ease of doing business," Prasad said.

"I've also told her to revisit the whole issue of spectrum usage charges (SUC). The Secretary will be working with her team and would submit a detailed report over the issue very soon," the Union Minister said, adding that the Secretary has also been told to meet Solicitor General Tushar Mehta if the issue requires some legal clarity.

On the proposed test trials of 5G, the minister said, "I'm looking at 5G with great excitement. As the test trial platforms are being developed by IIT and others, I've asked my department to make a good infusion of India's intellectual property in the creation of patents."

"The third agenda of my department is to involve Start-ups and existing well-reputed software and technology companies. We have planned to involve them in a big way. Initially, some of the responses have been good as I want to personally follow it up," he said, adding that in the country there 19,000 start-ups and out of it about 7,500 start-ups are in the technology sector, including eight unicorn start-ups.

The fourth agenda is to make India a hub of electronic manufacturing and I have told Electronics department to prepare a detailed presentation in this regard.