The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper titled ‘Encouraging R&D in Telecom, Broadcasting, and IT (ICT) Sectors’ on September 22, 2023. The objective of this paper is to establish a comprehensive ecosystem that promotes Research and Development (R&D) within the ICT sector in India. This initiative aims to foster innovation and development of ICT products and services, ultimately contributing to India’s self-reliance and boosting exports in the ICT sector.
R&D plays a pivotal role in driving technological advancements, economic growth, and improving the quality of life. India has made substantial progress in this domain, ranking as the highest economy in the Central and Southern Asia region and 40th globally in the Global Innovation Index 2022. Government initiatives such as “Make in India,” “Digital India,” and “Startup India” have significantly strengthened the R&D landscape in the country. However, there is still room for improvement, especially in the ICT sector, to learn from international best practices and address policy and incentive-related issues.
The Consultation Paper focuses on three key elements: “Education & Training System,” “Science System,” and “Regulatory Framework.” The regulatory framework is further divided into “Policies and Programs” and “IPR Framework.” TRAI emphasizes the need for a robust R&D ecosystem and discusses potential challenges that must be addressed to enable innovation.
The paper highlights emerging trends in the Telecom, Broadcasting, and IT sectors, including 5G, 6G, IoT, AI, DLT, AR, VR, Quantum Computing, and more. It underscores the importance of government-industry-academia collaboration, commercialization of research, private investment encouragement, patent approval cycles, IPR protection, and IP-based finance to capitalize on these trends.
TRAI also examines the R&D ecosystems of leading countries in this space, such as Israel, South Korea, the United States, and various European nations, aiming to draw lessons for strengthening India’s R&D ecosystem and achieving its goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy.
Stakeholders are invited to provide written comments by October 23, 2023, and counter-comments by November 6, 2023, through email to advisorit@trai.gov.in, with a copy to ja-cadiv@trai.gov.in. Shri Anand Kumar Singh, Advisor (CA, IT & TD), can be contacted for further information at Tel.No.+91-11-23210990.
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