India’s success in building an inclusive and future-ready digital ecosystem positions it as a global model for regulatory innovation, Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said on Monday.

Addressing the International Telecommunication Union’s Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) 2025 in Riyadh, Scindia urged regulators worldwide to move beyond being “gatekeepers” and instead act as “ecosystem builders.”

“Regulation in the digital era must rest on vision, trust, and inclusive innovation. If we succeed, we will not merely connect people — we will empower them. We will not just build networks — we will build nations,” Scindia said during the high-level Executive Roundtable.

He highlighted three key regulatory pillars: ecosystem design, fostering innovation through sandboxes, and trust-building with citizen-centric policies and strong data protection.

Showcasing India’s journey, Scindia cited the rapid 5G rollout covering 776 districts and 300 million users, making India the world’s largest data-consuming nation per capita. Reforms like the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and Telecom Cybersecurity Rules, 2024 have modernized outdated colonial laws to suit the AI and quantum era.

Flagship initiatives such as Aadhaar, Jan Dhan Yojana, PM-WANI, BharatNet, and India Post were described as “living arteries of empowerment,” demonstrating how regulation can scale digital public infrastructure.

Calling for global cooperation, Scindia proposed harmonizing spectrum bands, reducing costs, and building disaster-resilient green networks. He also suggested creating a Digital Consumer Charter to ensure fairness, transparency, and trust worldwide.

On AI, Scindia underlined India’s balanced approach through the IndiaAI Mission, launched in 2024 with a budget of ₹10,371.92 crore, aimed at responsible and inclusive adoption.

Concluding, Scindia said: “India is not only the world’s largest digital society but also an emerging thought leader in regulatory innovation.”