India and Ireland Deepen Digital Cooperation in Telecom, AI and Emerging Technologies

Hon'ble Union Minister for Communications Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia today led an Indian delegation in a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Jack Chambers, Ireland's Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform, and Digitalisation, at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi.

The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation in telecommunications, digital infrastructure, emerging technologies, and regulatory collaboration, reaffirming the strong and friendly ties between India and Ireland.

High-Level Delegations from Both Sides

The Indian delegation included:

• Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister for Communications and Development of the Northeastern Region

• Shri Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

• Senior officials from the Department of Telecom

The Irish delegation comprised:

• H.E. Mr. Jack Chambers, Minister for Digitalisation, Ireland

• Mr. Kevin Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland to India

• Senior officials from Ireland

Strengthening India–Ireland Digital Partnership

Both sides acknowledged the strong complementarities between:

• India's scale and rapid digital deployment capabilities

• Ireland's research-driven innovation ecosystem

• EU-aligned regulatory architecture

The potential for structured collaboration between India's DoT and Ireland's Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) was emphasized, supported by academia, startups, and industry stakeholders.

Minister Scindia stated:

"As dynamic, innovation-driven democracies, India and Ireland both have immense potential to collaborate in quantum communications, AI, regulatory innovation, and rural broadband services. Together, we can build a strong and future-ready digital partnership."

India's Digital Transformation and Global Connectivity Leadership

Minister Scindia briefed the Irish side on India's ICT transformation journey since 2014, highlighting India's position as one of the world's largest digital ecosystems:

• 1.23 billion telecom subscribers

• Nearly 1 billion internet users

• 5G coverage across 99.9% of districts

• Average data tariffs of around USD 0.10 per GB, among the lowest globally

He underlined India's success in building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including:

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a global model for interoperable digital payments

• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) enabling transparent government-to-citizen fund delivery

India Seeks Ireland's Support for ITU Candidatures

Minister Scindia sought Ireland's support for India's candidature in upcoming International Telecommunication Union (ITU) elections, including:

• Ms. M. Revathi for Director, Radiocommunication Bureau

• India's re-election to the ITU Council (2027–2030)

• India's proposal to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030

Both sides agreed on the importance of working closely within the ITU framework.

Showcasing India's Digital Citizen Services

The Indian delegation highlighted several flagship initiatives, including:

• DigiLocker, incorporating robust privacy safeguards

• Digi Yatra, enabling seamless paperless airport travel

• Sanchar Saathi modules such as:

  • CEIR for recovery of lost or stolen devices

  • CIOR for blocking spoofed international calls

  • SPAM call alert mechanisms

  • ASTRA for identifying forged mobile connections

These initiatives demonstrate India's commitment to secure and citizen-centric digital governance.

Ireland Shares National Broadband Plan Experience

H.E. Mr. Jack Chambers shared insights from Ireland's National Broadband Plan, describing it as a model for delivering universal and affordable connectivity to rural and remote areas.

He highlighted Ireland's multi-billion-euro fibre rollout project and noted the growing trade relationship between India and Ireland, which represents a significant share of India's trade with the European Union.

He also acknowledged the strong contribution of the Indian community to Ireland's economy, innovation ecosystem, and job creation.

Key Areas of Future Cooperation

Both sides agreed to work closely through:

• Structured engagement and exchange of best practices

• Capacity building and regulatory collaboration

• Industry partnerships and investment linkages

• Dialogue through G2G, G2B, and B2B mechanisms

The meeting reaffirmed shared commitment to building open, secure, resilient, and interoperable digital ecosystems that foster innovation, inclusion, economic growth, and trusted global connectivity.