Summary:
Telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal on Friday made a strong pitch for lowering the high taxes and levies on the telecom sector, saying the government should not view it as a source for the exchequer, but rather as a “force multiplier” for ensuring economic momentum.
Mittal, who is the chairman of Bharti Airtel, also said that the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat has given a clarion call to the industry to ensure that more value addition is done in India for telecom networks, mobile devices, and software.
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New DelhI: Telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal on Friday made a strong pitch for lowering the high taxes and levies on the telecom sector, saying the government should not view it as a source for the exchequer, but rather as a “force multiplier” for ensuring economic momentum.
Mittal, who is the chairman of Bharti Airtel, also said that the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat has given a clarion call to the industry to ensure that more value addition is done in India for telecom networks, mobile devices, and software.
“Taxes have generally been very high on this industry.
It is important that this is reviewed thoroughly and telecom resources like spectrum, levies should not become a source for the exchequer, but should become a force multiplier in ensuring economic momentum becomes faster and gets accelerated.
So, the government can earn its dues from other industries who are going to be riding on the back of this wonderful industry,” Mittal said.
The government should ensure that telecom industry, which has had its share of ups and downs, is given due attention in area of levies and taxes, Mittal said, speaking at an event organised by industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) and IMC Studio on the occasion of ’25th Anniversary of Mobile Telephony’ in India.
Mittal said it is time for India to take a lead in the area of local manufacturing.
“PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat is giving us all a clarion call to ensure more and more value addition is done in India for telecom networks, mobile devices, and software,” he said.
Tracing the journey of telecom sector over the last 25 years, Mittal talked of more than a billion “connected” Indians, not just in cities and small towns, but in villages and rural areas.