The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India commemorated its 29th Foundation Day with high level deliberations on inclusive television access and the evolving regulatory dimensions of network slicing and net neutrality. Established on February 20, 1997, TRAI marked the occasion with a comprehensive reflection on its regulatory journey and discussions on emerging challenges in India’s digital communications ecosystem.
The event was attended by senior government officials, industry leaders, academic experts and technology specialists. The inaugural ceremony began with the lighting of the lamp by Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairperson, TRAI, in the presence of Ritu Ranjan Mittar, Member, M P Tangirala, Member, and Ranjan Bose, Member Part Time.
Delivering the welcome address, Atul Kumar Chaudhary, Secretary, TRAI, recalled the Authority’s establishment during India’s transition to a competitive telecom market. He emphasised the importance of an independent regulator in ensuring fair competition, orderly sectoral growth and protection of consumer interests. He underlined the continued relevance of television as a widely accessible medium, particularly in rural and semi urban regions, and noted that universal access to broadcasting remains central to social inclusion. He also highlighted the rapid technological evolution in telecom, including network slicing, stressing the need to preserve openness and uphold net neutrality principles as advanced capabilities are deployed.
Members of the Authority reflected on TRAI’s evolving regulatory philosophy amid successive technological transitions. Ritu Ranjan Mittar underscored the importance of market based regulatory frameworks to sustain competition and investment. He highlighted transparent consultations, tariff rationalisation, spectrum efficiency and innovation as pillars of affordability and long term sustainability.
M P Tangirala focused on the technological aspects of regulation, particularly in the context of next generation networks, artificial intelligence enabled systems and advanced spectrum utilisation. He stressed that regulatory frameworks must evolve alongside technological innovation in areas such as network slicing, quality of service, interoperability and infrastructure resilience.
Ranjan Bose brought an academic perspective, emphasising collaboration between regulators, academia and industry to foster innovation ecosystems. He highlighted the relevance of artificial intelligence, 6G research and digital platforms, and pointed to regulatory sandboxes and pilot initiatives as tools for testing new models while safeguarding public interest.
Neelkanth Mishra, Member Part Time, addressed the macro economic significance of telecom and broadcasting in India’s growth trajectory. He noted that digital infrastructure underpins productivity, financial inclusion and digital public infrastructure. He emphasised that credible and predictable regulation is essential for attracting long term capital into network expansion, fibre deployment and emerging technologies, and called for regulatory foresight in assessing economic implications of AI driven networks, satellite broadband and next generation digital platforms.
In his opening address, Anil Kumar Lahoti highlighted TRAI’s role in ensuring a level playing field across telecom and broadcasting. He observed that connectivity now spans fixed line, mobile, optical fibre and satellite networks, enabling services nationwide. Referring to artificial intelligence, 5G and future 6G systems, he stated that regulatory frameworks must remain adaptive and transparent to ensure fairness, accountability and consumer protection while enabling innovation.
A video message from Jyotiraditya M Scindia was shared during the inaugural session. He congratulated TRAI on its 29th Foundation Day and described the Authority as a bedrock institution ensuring fairness and equity in the communications ecosystem. Referring to the transition from 4G to 5G and the emergence of 6G and artificial intelligence, he emphasised the need for appropriate regulatory guardrails to foster innovation while preserving transparency and public interest. He also appreciated the inclusion of network slicing in the technical discussions.
The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by Ashok Kumar Jha, Principal Advisor Broadcasting and Cable Services, TRAI.
The first technical session, titled Taking Television to All Homes Policy Technology and Business Strategies for Inclusion, was moderated by Ashok Kumar Jha. It examined strategies to enhance television accessibility, strengthen last mile connectivity and bridge the digital divide, particularly in rural and underserved regions. Speakers included Prabhat, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Padma Kumar, CEO KCCL, and Vishwanath Pingali, IIM Ahmedabad. Discussions focused on policy interventions, technology solutions and sustainable business models to expand reach while maintaining affordability and service quality.
The second technical session on Network Slicing and Net Neutrality was moderated by Akhilesh Trivedi, Advisor NSL II, TRAI. Speakers included U K Srivastava, President, Reliance Jio Infocom Limited, Umang Jindal, Ericsson, and Anil Tandon, Broadband India Forum. The session examined differentiated service provisioning in advanced networks, evolving network architectures and the need to balance innovation with consumer rights and equitable access to digital services.
The deliberations witnessed active participation from policymakers, industry representatives and academia, reinforcing the importance of stakeholder consultation in shaping responsive and balanced regulation.
TRAI Day 2026 reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to inclusive growth, consumer protection, fair competition and the development of resilient, secure and future ready telecom and broadcasting services across India.
