Do you think this bill will face opposition?

We have received some very positive feedback about the bill. People have appreciated the clarity and the simple language and ample illustrations in the draft bill. A few concerns have been raised. We will try and address this to the best possible level. We have requested all stakeholders to analyze the bill and share remarks and recommendations critically.

When do you think the Telecom Bill and the Personal Data Protection bill will be tabled in Parliament?

Based on the consultation process that is going on, we will create a final draft of the Telecom Bill 2022. That draft will go through committee processes in Parliament and then be tabled in Parliament. A roughly estimated timeline will be 6-10 months.

For the Personal Data Protection Bill, we are working at a good pace. We are targeting it should be tabled by the coming Budget Session.

The Telecom industry now seems in better shape from what it was until some time back. Do you plan to bring more reforms to improve it further?

Reforms are a continuous process in this government. Thanks to the series of telecom reforms undertaken in the last one year, there is a lot of certainty and clarity now. The sector is more or less out of the legacy issues which were holding it back. There is optimism about the sector and it is well on its way to become a sunrise sector of the economy.