New Delhi: To counter huge imports in the telecom sector, faculties of top Indian institutes IIT, IIM and IISc have asked the government to expeditiously operationalise Telecom Research and Development Fund (TRDF), Telecom Entrepreneurship Development fund (TEDF) and Telecom manufacturing promotion fund (TMPF). These funds are proposed to be around Rs 17,500 crore.
“The government funding for telecom product development will create pull-through effect for overall electronics manufacturing eco-system thereby resulting in reduced import-bill and bridging of trade deficit,” said a letter signed by 35 professors belonging to Indian Institute of Technolog, Indian Institute of Management and Indian Institute of Sciences.
It said that the government has garnered huge funding through spectrum auctions, telecom revenue-share and licensing charges. In future, the government is likely to earn even more through auctions and licensing fees. “It is imperative that a part of these earnings is used to strengthen Indian IPRs, telecom products and manufacturing. The government must create and operationalise TRDF; TEDF and TMPF without any delay. The strengthening of telecom product and entrepreneurship ec-osystem will have long-term fiscal benefits,” said that letter.
The National Telecom Policy 2012 had envisaged these funds for giving an impetus to domestic telecom manufacturing ecosystem.
The letter said that these funds will catalyse the manufacturing eco-system and make India self-reliant in telecom technology for commercial and national strategic use.
