COAI Dialogues - Manish Sinha, DoT outlines roadmap for sustainable growth

At the COAI Dialogues, one of the industry’s most influential forums, Manish Sinha, Member (Finance), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), presented a candid assessment of India’s telecom landscape. With digital infrastructure now powering everything from e-commerce and education to transparency in governance, Sinha argued that the sector stands at a “very crucial juncture”.

India’s rapid advances, most notably the world’s fastest 5G rollout, have placed the country on the global digital map. Yet, he reminded the audience, sustaining this lead will demand not just infrastructure and investment, but policies that encourage innovation, private participation, and regulatory clarity.

Strengthening the foundations

Sinha highlighted India’s unique advantages: high smartphone penetration, one of the world’s highest rates of data consumption, and the lowest mobile data tariffs globally. Combined with a youthful population and fast-growing rural markets, these factors, he said, are fuelling demand for better, faster, and more efficient connectivity.

But the transformation has also required significant public investment. The government, Sinha noted, has channelled USD 25 billion into the sector over the past five years, alongside Phase 3 rural connectivity projects worth Rs 1.4 lakh crore. These efforts aim not just to expand access but also to address earlier gaps in coverage and reliability.

Policy clarity and new opportunities

Among the measures underway is a new telecom bill designed to provide greater regulatory clarity and convergence, helping both operators and investors navigate an evolving market. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme is further supporting domestic manufacturing, reducing reliance on imports, and creating new opportunities across the telecom value chain.

Sinha pointed to rising interest from global investors, with capital flowing into subsea cables, data centres, tower infrastructure, and satellite technology. This, he argued, reflects both confidence in India’s digital growth story and recognition of its potential as a hub for the future of connectivity.

Emerging challenges: monetisation and convergence

Despite the optimism, Sinha acknowledged challenges in monetising new technologies. Use cases such as smart cities, industrial IoT, and automation remain commercially complex, even as they hold promise for long-term transformation.

He also underlined the need for more creative financing models and regulatory innovation to support convergence across telecom, cloud, and digital services. “Continuous innovation is the only way to ensure uninterrupted, sustainable growth,” he said.

The way forward: innovation with responsibility

Looking ahead, Sinha urged the industry to embrace light-touch regulation that encourages private sector participation and infrastructure sharing, thereby reducing costs while ensuring inclusivity. He stressed that artificial intelligence, already playing a role in network optimisation, will be critical in boosting efficiency and cutting operational costs.

On foreign investment, he noted that telecom already accounts for over half of India’s total FDI inflows, positioning it as a magnet for global capital. The sector, he argued, must leverage this momentum to accelerate growth in digital services, sustainable infrastructure, and new partnerships.

Telecom as the backbone of India’s growth story

Sinha concluded on an emphatic note: “If you believe in India’s growth story, telecom is not just an enabler; it is the core infrastructure that powers the entire distribution machine.” For him, the task ahead is clear. India must not only invest in networks but also in the systems, policies, and innovations that will secure its place as a digital leader.