ADVERTISEMENT

10% Rise In Telecom Investment Likely To Boost India's GDP By $1.2 Trillion: Report

India is a $2.5 trillion economy
India is a $2.5 trillion economy

Investment of $100 billion in the telecom industry, as envisioned in the National Digital Communications Policy 2018 (NDCP), would result in an increase of $1.21 trillion in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) on a cumulative basis, a report said here on Thursday. Currently, India is a $2.5 trillion economy. A 10 per cent hike in investment in the country's telecom sector may lead to an increase of 3.3 per cent in the country's GDP on an average, noted the joint report by Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations and Broadband India Forum.

"The multiplier effect of investment in communications implies that the $100 billion investment envisioned in the new policy could cumulatively add $1.21 trillion (Rs 78,90,711 crore) to the GDP over the duration of the proposed investment," the report said.

"These are significant impacts and yet could be underestimated given that penetration of internet is still below international levels," it added.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications stated: "While the first wave of mobile revolution heralded a new age of growth and dynamism to the economy, the second wave is now being led by the growth of internet subscribers and investments in telecommunication infrastructure, leading to exponential benefits to the economic and GDP growth."

It is critical therefore for states across the country to leverage it to ensure greater direct and spill-over benefits, she added.