India–Ireland talks focus on future networks and digital infrastructure

India and Ireland held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi to expand cooperation in telecommunications, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.

The Indian delegation was led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Communications and Development of the Northeastern Region. The Irish delegation was led by Jack Chambers, Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. Senior officials from both sides, including Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and Kevin Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland to India, were also present.

The discussions focused on strengthening collaboration in telecommunications, regulatory frameworks, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies. Both sides noted complementarities between India’s scale and deployment capabilities and Ireland’s research and innovation ecosystem within the European Union regulatory framework. The possibility of structured cooperation between India’s DoT and Ireland’s Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), supported by academic and industry engagement, was discussed.

Minister Scindia outlined India’s progress in the information and communications technology sector since 2014. He stated that India has over 1.23 billion telecom subscribers and nearly one billion internet users, with 5G coverage extending to almost all districts. He also referred to comparatively low data tariffs and the expansion of digital public infrastructure, including the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, which facilitate digital payments and direct transfer of government benefits.

The Indian side also highlighted initiatives such as DigiLocker, Digi Yatra and Sanchar Saathi. Under Sanchar Saathi, modules including CEIR for recovery of lost or stolen devices, CIOR for blocking spoofed international calls, spam alert mechanisms and ASTR for identifying fraudulent mobile connections were referenced as measures to enhance digital security.

India sought Ireland’s support for its candidature in forthcoming elections at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), including for the position of Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau, re-election to the ITU Council for the 2027–2030 term, and a proposal to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030.

Minister Chambers outlined Ireland’s National Broadband Plan and its nationwide fibre rollout, particularly in rural and remote areas. He noted the growing trade relationship between India and Ireland and expressed interest in expanding cooperation between ICT industries in both countries. He also acknowledged the contribution of the Indian community in Ireland to the country’s economy and innovation ecosystem.

Both sides agreed to enhance engagement through government-to-government, government-to-business and business-to-business dialogues. They reiterated their commitment to cooperation within the ITU framework and to exchanging best practices in regulatory and technological domains.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to supporting open, secure and resilient digital ecosystems and to strengthening bilateral cooperation in telecommunications and digital technologies.