In Short:
Jyotiraditya M. Scindia has taken charge as the new union communications minister, expressing emotional ties to the telecom department. He aims to meet the people’s expectations under Prime Minister’s leadership. He faces challenges like overseeing the 5G spectrum auction and ensuring the survival of Vodafone Idea. Scindia will focus on defining new telecom rules and granting satellite spectrum to global players like Starlink and Amazon Kuiper.
Jyotiraditya M. Scindia Takes Charge as Union Communications Minister
Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the newly appointed union communications minister, expressed his deep connection with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as he took charge. In a press conference, he mentioned his previous experience as a junior minister in the department from 2007 to 2009 and his commitment to fulfilling the expectations of the people of India under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
Scindia, son of late Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia, has served as the Civil Aviation Minister in the previous Modi cabinet and as the Minister of State for Communications in the UPA – I government between 2007-2009. He played a significant role in the modernization of the post office through the Project Arrow scheme.
Addressing the importance of the telecom and India Post divisions at both local and global levels, Scindia acknowledged the revolutionary developments in the department under the Prime Minister’s leadership. He pledged to work diligently to meet the aspirations of the nation’s 140 crore citizens.
While refraining from commenting on specific issues like spectrum auctions, Scindia faces immediate challenges such as overseeing India’s 5G spectrum auction starting June 25 and ensuring the stability of India’s three-private player telecom market structure, especially focusing on the survival of cash-strapped Vodafone Idea.
One of his key tasks will be steering the notification of rules under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, within 100 days of the new government’s tenure to establish guidelines for spectrum pricing and satellite spectrum usage.
Additionally, Scindia will be involved in making decisions concerning the allocation of satellite spectrum to global satcom giants like Eutelsat OneWeb, Starlink by Elon Musk, and Amazon Kuiper. These decisions will have implications on granting satcom service permits to Starlink and Amazon Kuiper in the near future.
Scindia, who won from Guna in Madhya Pradesh by a significant margin, steps into the telecommunications sector amidst crucial responsibilities and challenges.
