Workshop on Global Standards & IPR Highlights India’s Role in International Telecommunications

Ghaziabad: A one-day workshop on “Global Standards & IPR” underscored the critical role of global standards and intellectual property rights in driving a country’s development. Organized by the National Telecommunications Institute for Policy Research, Innovation, and Training (NTIPRIT) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area Office and Innovation Centre, New Delhi, the event was a precursor to the upcoming World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) scheduled to be hosted by India from October 15-24, 2024.

Held at NTIPRIT’s campus in Ghaziabad, the workshop commemorated World Telecommunication and Information Society Day and brought together national stakeholders to foster global partnerships and align with international best practices in telecommunications standards.

The event was inaugurated by Telecommunications Secretary, Dr. Neeraj Mittal. In his inaugural address, Dr. Mittal emphasized the importance of global collaboration in standardization to spur innovation and technological advancement. “Global standards are the backbone of international telecommunications. They ensure interoperability, enhance innovation, and drive economic growth,” he said.

A.K. Sahu, Member (S), highlighted the significance of national contributions to the global standardization process, while R.R. Mittar, DG (T), elaborated on the complexities and nuances of telecom standards. R. Shakya, Senior Advisor at the ITU Area Office in New Delhi, urged participants to engage actively with ITU activities in the standardization domain and provided insights into the upcoming WTSA-24.

Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Director General of NTIPRIT, spoke about the spirit of cooperation and partnership, outlining the workshop’s objectives and overview. Martin Adolph, Study Group Counsellor at ITU, provided an overview of ITU’s activities and the importance of global standards in technical and engineering education.

Key presentations included Sharad Arora, CEO of Mashmari, who explained standardization processes and their critical impact on technical education, and Dr. Klutto Milleth from CEWiT, IIT Madras, who delved into the complexities of Standard Essential Patents (SEP) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in technical education and projects.

The workshop concluded with a panel discussion chaired by U.K. Srivastava, focusing on leveraging global standards and IPR for innovation and competitiveness. The event was attended by officers from DoT, ITU experts, faculty members, and students from engineering colleges in Delhi and the NCR region.

Atul Sinha, DDG (ICT) at NTIPRIT, welcomed the dignitaries and participants, setting the tone for a day of insightful discussions and knowledge sharing. The workshop provided a valuable platform for forging global partnerships and aligning India’s telecommunications sector with international best practices, marking a significant step towards the upcoming WTSA-24 and beyond.