Budget 2023 | Government to set up 100 5G labs to develop new apps

India has made remarkable advancements in the digital realm. File image
| Photo Credit: AP

The Government proposes to set up 100 labs for developing applications using 5G services in various engineering institutions across the country. Three Centres of Excellence for AI will also be set up. These measures will realise a new range of opportunities, business models, and employment potential, as per the Union Budget presented by the Finance Minister on February 1.

According to her, these labs would cover, among others, applications such as smart classrooms, precision farming, intelligent transport systems, and healthcare.

Reacting to the proposal, Bipin Sapra, Tax & Regulatory Services, Partner, EY India said that the government had taken a big leap to embrace 5G much more swiftly by setting up these labs. He agreed that they would indeed further boost employment and business opportunities in the country. “Amrit Kaal focuses on being a technology-driven and knowledge-based economy with one of the primary visions of growth and job creation. India has made remarkable advancements in the digital realm and various new initiatives have been adopted to improve the lives of people, accelerating the societal benefits of these technologies,’‘ added Mr. Sapra.

Piyush N. Singh, Senior Managing Director, Accenture, said setting up new centres of excellence for AI and 5G labs for developing apps would help democratise AI and push for wider adoption of 5G services. “It will be important for the private sector ecosystem to work closely with the government to realise the digital future of India,’‘ Mr. Singh said.

These measures will go a long way in unleashing the digital potential of the country, said Puneet Gupta, vice president & managing director, NetApp India/SAARC. “In a world that is driven by data and AI, we see numerous and infinite opportunities ahead of us. The mission of Amrit Kaal has put us in a strong position to truly call this a digital budget, given its large focus on technology and digital,’‘ added Mr. Gupta.

According to Manoranjan Mohapatra, CEO, Comviva, with the ongoing 5G rollouts in India, the government’s decision to establish a large number of 5G application labs is a timely move to spur innovation in developing the 5G ecosystem and India-relevant use cases. “There is a great opportunity to combine 5G and AI to improve network speed, responsiveness, and efficiency. The special emphasis on establishing AI centres of excellence will help produce a new pool of specialised tech talent to enable India to preserve its global advantage and leadership,’‘ Mr. Mohapatra said.