India–Ireland Telecom Cooperation received a major boost as Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Communications, led an Indian delegation in a bilateral meeting with Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform, and Digitalisation of Ireland, at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi.
The meeting focused on strengthening India–Ireland Telecom Cooperation across telecommunications, digital infrastructure, emerging technologies, and regulatory collaboration.
The Indian delegation included Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Union Minister for Communications and Development of the Northeastern Region; Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications; and other senior officials from the DoT.
The Irish delegation comprised Jack Chambers; Kevin Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland to India; and senior officials from Ireland.
India–Ireland Telecom Cooperation: Strengthening Digital Collaboration
Both sides acknowledged strong complementarities between India’s scale and rapid deployment capabilities, Ireland’s research-driven innovation ecosystem, and EU-aligned regulatory architecture.
India–Ireland Telecom Cooperation discussions emphasized structured collaboration between the Department of Telecommunications and Ireland’s Commission for Communications Regulation, supported by academia, startups, and industry stakeholders.
Minister Scindia said: “As dynamic, innovation-driven democracies, India and Ireland both have immense potential to collaborate in quantum communications, AI, regulatory innovation, and rural broadband services.
We also look forward to Ireland’s support for India’s candidature at the International Telecommunication Union. Together, we can build a strong and future-ready digital partnership.”
India–Ireland Telecom Cooperation discussions also included a briefing on India’s ICT transformation journey since 2014. India today represents one of the world’s largest digital ecosystems, with over 1.23 billion telecom subscribers and nearly a billion internet users. 5G coverage extends to approximately 99.9% of districts, supported by data tariffs averaging around USD 0.10 per GB.
The Minister highlighted India’s Digital Public Infrastructure initiatives, including Unified Payments Interface>, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), DigiLocker, and Digi Yatra.
The Indian side also showcased initiatives such as Sanchar Saathi and its modules including CEIR, CIOR, SPAM call alert mechanisms, and ASTRA as examples of India’s digital governance innovation under the broader India–Ireland Telecom Cooperation framework.
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Ireland’s Connectivity Initiatives
Jack Chambers shared insights into Ireland’s National Broadband Plan, describing it as a model for delivering universal, meaningful, and affordable connectivity, particularly in rural and remote areas.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the Indian community to Ireland’s economy, innovation ecosystem, and job creation.
The Irish minister highlighted Ireland’s multi-billion-euro fiber rollout project and noted the growing trade relationship between India and Ireland, which accounts for a significant share of India’s trade with the European Union.
These developments further reinforce India–Ireland Telecom Cooperation in ICT business opportunities and industry partnerships.
Cooperation Through Global Platforms
Both sides discussed collaboration within the International Telecommunication Union framework. India sought Ireland’s support for its candidature in upcoming ITU elections, including the candidature of M Revathi for Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau, India’s re-election to the ITU Council for the 2027–2030 term, and India’s proposal to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030.
India-Ireland Telecom Cooperation: Way Forward
Both countries agreed to strengthen India–Ireland Telecom Cooperation through structured engagement, exchange of best practices, capacity building, and industry linkages.
The roadmap includes G2G, G2B, and B2B dialogues aimed at fostering innovation, digital inclusion, and expanded trade and investment collaboration in ICT and emerging technologies.
