International Telecommunication Union elects DoT Secretary Neeraj Mittal as co-chair of Digital Innovation Board

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has unanimously elected Neeraj Mittal, the Secretary of Department of Telecom (DoT), as the co-chair of the Digital Innovation Board, as per a release issued by the Ministry of Communications on March 21.

Mittal led a delegation on behalf of the Indian government at the ITU meeting, held at the global telecom body’s headquarters in Geneva from March 18-20.

The Digital Innovation Board comprises ministers and high-ranking officials of 23 ITU member countries, spread across Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America.

The board will provide "strategic guidance, expertise and advocacy regarding its mission of building critical local enablers and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development," the release stated. The goal is also to create a "more inclusive and equitable digital future for all”, it added.

Bilateral meetings

At the sidelines of the ITU meeting in Geneva, Mittal also held talks with senior visiting officials, including Hiroshi Yoshida, Japan's junior minister for communications. The discussions were aimed at reviewing engagements of India and Japan in the telecom and communication sectors.

Mittal and Yoshida proposed "active collaboration on AI, 5G use cases and quantum products certification between the two countries," the ministry said. Both stressed on the need to develop a framework on trusted products, it added.

Mittal also held a meeting with Bahrain's telecom minister Mohammed Bin Thamir. During the talks, both sides decided to revisit the memorandum of understanding on information, communication and technology (ICT) between the two countries that lapsed in 2015.

Both the officials agreed to collaborate actively in areas such as AI, 5G use cases, cybersecurity, and for “the development of Data Embassy”, the release added.