VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar presented India’s vision for a secure, sustainable and inclusive global digital future at the High-Level Segment of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
Reaffirming India’s civilisational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the belief that “the world is one family”—he highlighted India’s long-standing partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which dates back to 1869.
Dr Chandra Sekhar stressed that cybersecurity is a collective global responsibility and urged nations to work together to build resilient, cross-border security frameworks.
Showcasing India’s rapid digital transformation, he said the country has become one of the world’s most connected societies, serving 1.2 billion telecom subscribers, 1 billion internet users and 1.4 billion digital identities. He noted that India’s $4.8 billion last-mile 4G rollout and the world’s fastest 5G expansion—now covering 99% of districts—have set new international benchmarks.
He pointed out that India offers some of the lowest data tariffs globally, leads in data consumption, and accounts for 46% of the world’s digital transactions, proving that accessibility and affordability can scale together.
On cybersecurity, the Minister highlighted citizen-centric safety platforms such as Sanchar Saathi and the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, which have blocked 30 million fraudulent mobile connections and prevented 6.6 million financial fraud attempts.
“Cybersecurity is a global imperative,” he said, reiterating India’s commitment to building trusted international frameworks. Calling for digital unity, he said India stands ready to partner with all ITU member states to create a digital ecosystem that empowers people, protects the planet.