India and Ireland Deepen Digital Partnership with Focus on Telecom, Emerging Technologies and Regulatory Cooperation

New Delhi: India and Ireland have agreed to significantly enhance bilateral cooperation in telecommunications, digital infrastructure, emerging technologies and regulatory collaboration, reinforcing their growing strategic partnership.

The discussions were held in New Delhi between Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers, and India’s Union Minister for Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Stronger ICT Engagement and Regulatory Collaboration

Both sides agreed to deepen engagement in the ICT sector through structured dialogue, exchange of best practices, capacity building and stronger industry linkages. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering innovation, promoting digital inclusion and expanding trade and investment between India and Ireland.

The ministers emphasised the importance of closer collaboration within the framework of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), particularly in regulatory and technical domains. They also acknowledged the complementary strengths of India’s rapid deployment capabilities and Ireland’s research-driven innovation ecosystem, as well as Ireland’s alignment with EU regulatory standards.

The meeting highlighted opportunities for cooperation between India’s Department of Telecommunications and Ireland’s Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), supported by academia, startups and industry stakeholders.

Both countries identified strong potential for joint work in quantum communications, artificial intelligence, regulatory innovation and rural broadband development.

India Seeks Support for ITU Elections

Minister Scindia sought Ireland’s support for India’s candidature in upcoming ITU elections, including:

• The candidacy of M. Revathi for Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau
• India’s re-election to the ITU Council for the 2027–2030 term
• India’s proposal to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030

He expressed confidence that India and Ireland could build a resilient and future-ready digital partnership.

India Showcases Digital Transformation Achievements

The Indian delegation outlined the country’s digital transformation journey since 2014. India now has over 1.23 billion telecom subscribers and nearly one billion internet users, with 5G services covering almost 99.9% of districts. Average data tariffs stand at approximately US$0.10 per GB, making connectivity widely accessible.

Minister Scindia highlighted India’s leadership in building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including:

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a globally recognised interoperable digital payments platform
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) systems enabling direct transfer of government funds to beneficiaries
• DigiLocker for secure digital document storage
• DigiYatra for seamless, paperless airport travel

India also shared details of the Sanchar Saathi initiative, including CEIR for recovering stolen mobile devices, CIOR to curb international spoofed calls, spam alert systems for operators and ASTRA to detect fraudulent mobile connections.

Ireland Highlights National Broadband Plan

Minister Jack Chambers outlined Ireland’s experience under its National Broadband Plan, describing it as a key initiative in delivering universal, affordable connectivity to rural and remote communities.

He also noted the substantial contribution of the Indian community to Ireland’s economy, innovation ecosystem and employment landscape. Ireland’s multi-billion-euro fibre rollout and its strong trade ties with India—an important partner in Ireland’s engagement with the European Union—were highlighted as areas for further growth.

The bilateral meeting at Sanchar Bhavan was attended by Telecom Secretary Amit Agarwal and senior Indian officials. The Irish delegation included Ireland’s Ambassador to India, Kevin Kelly, along with other senior representatives.

Both sides agreed to maintain close engagement to translate discussions into actionable outcomes, strengthening the digital bridge between India and Ireland.

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