opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 2798 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Financial Position of Public Sector Undertakings Bank Loans
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Subbarayan K, Com. Selvaraj V

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2798 ANSWERED ON 6 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## FINANCIAL POSITION OF PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKINGS BANK LOANS

## 2798.   COM. SELVARAJ V: SHRI SUBBARAYAN K:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that MTNL has defaulted on bank loans worth Rs. 8,585 crore from seven public sector banks and its total debt obligations reached Rs. 34,484 crore as on June 30, 2025;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government is planning to face the grave financial position of this public sector undertaking and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- ( a ) to ( c ) The details of debt liabilities of MTNL, as on 30.06.2025, are as under:

|   Sl. No. | Detail                          | Amount             |
|-----------|---------------------------------|--------------------|
|         1 | Sovereign Guarantee Bonds (SGB) | Rs. 24,071 crore   |
|         2 | Interest for servicing of SGBs  | Rs. 1,828 crore    |
|         3 | Bank Loans including interest   | Rs. 8,584.92 crore |

As per Cabinet Approval in 2022, a Committee of Secretaries comprising of (i) Secretary, Department  of  Expenditure,  (ii)  Secretary,  Department  of  Telecommunications,  (iii)  Secretary, Department of Investment & Public Asset Management and (iv) Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises has been constituted to take up the issues related to debt mitigation of MTNL.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2797 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Target of Local Electronic Manufacturing
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2797

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 06.08.2025

## TARGET OF LOCAL ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURING

## 2797.   SHRI RAMASAHAYAM RAGHURAM REDDY:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India is on track to achieve the target of local electronic manufacturing of $250-$300 billion by 2026;
- (b) if so, the details and projections thereof, year-wise; and
- (c) if not, the details of challenges being faced in achieving this target?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) to (c): Electronics manufacturing in India has expanded significantly in the last 11 years, driven  by  Make  in  India  and  Atmanirbhar  Bharat  program.  The  Government  is  actively strengthening the domestic electronics ecosystem to boost self-reliance and global competitiveness.

Value  addition  by  electronics  manufacturing  units  in  India  has  also  increased  considerably  in recent years. It can be seen from the following statistics:

| #                                     | 2014-15      | 2024-25      | Remarks             |
|---------------------------------------|--------------|--------------|---------------------|
| Production of electronics goods (Rs.) | 1.9 Lakh Cr  | 11.3 Lakh Cr | Increased 6 times   |
| Export of electronics goods           | 0.38 Lakh Cr | 3.3 Lakh Cr  | Increased 8 times   |
| Mobile manufacturing units            | 2 units      | 300 units    | Increased 150 times |
| Production of mobile phones (Rs.)     | 0.18 Lakh Cr | 5.5 Lakh Cr  | Increased 28 times  |

| Export of mobile phones (Rs.)             | 0.01 Lakh Cr      | 2 Lakh Cr           | Increased 127 times   |
|-------------------------------------------|-------------------|---------------------|-----------------------|
| Mobile phones imported (% of total units) | 75% of the demand | 0.02% of the demand |                       |

The Government is also conscious of the requirement of high capital, scale of production, higher gestation period, latest technologies and skillsets for scaling up domestic manufacturing. Various strategic initiatives undertaken to address these are as follows:

- Production linked incentives (PLI) for large scale electronics manufacturing
- Production linked incentives (PLI) for IT hardware
- Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS)
- Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC and EMC 2.0) Scheme
- Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017 to prioritize domestically manufactured products in public procurement
- Reforms in taxation including rationalization of tariff structure, exemption on basic custom duty on capital goods, etc.
- Allowing 100% FDI in electronics manufacturing, subject to applicable laws / regulations

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2796 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Telecom Operators in Strengthening Disaster-resilience Capacity
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Smt. Vijaylakshmi Devi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2796 ANSWERED ON 6 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## TELECOM OPERATORS IN STRENGTHENING DISASTER-RESILIENCE CAPACITY

## †2796.  SMT. VIJAYLAKSHMI DEVI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  allocated  any  specific  funds  or  introduced  any  financial assistance  schemes  to  provide  support  to  telecom  operators  in  strengthening  disaster-resilience capacity, especially in cyclone and flood-prone areas;

- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the amount allocated and implementation mechanism;

- (c) whether the Government is considering to build telecom towers in coastal and disaster prone States to make them resilient to high-speed wind and other extreme weather conditions;

- (d) if so, the details of the proposed changes in the telecom infrastructure regulations; and

- (e) the  time  frame  for  implementation  of  these  measures  to  ensure  uninterrupted  telecom services during natural calamities?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a) & (b) No  specific  fund  has  been  allocated  to  provide  support  to  telecom  operators  in strengthening disaster-resilience capacity.
- (c) to (e) Telecom towers are built by the Telecom Service Providers. However, while planning the deployment of any tower in a given location, the TSPs conduct Hazard Vulnerability Assessments taking into account risks related to cyclones, floods, seismic activity, and tsunamis.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2787 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Aadhaar based Authentication for Tatkal Ticket Booking
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama, Dr. Vinod Kumar Bind, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2787 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## AADHAAR BASED AUTHENTICATION FOR TATKAL TICKET BOOKING

2787. DR. VINOD KUMAR BIND:

SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA: SHRI PRATAP CHANDRA SARANGI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Aadhaar-based authentication will be mandatory for Tatkal ticket bookings and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether passengers with Aadhaar-linked IRCTC accounts will get booking priority;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  the  manner in which this move will help reduce misuse of Tatkal tickets by agents and touts; and
- (e) whether this rule will also apply to offline bookings and if so, the details thereof along with the details of technical upgrades made to support it?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (e): To improve passenger access to Tatkal tickets & to ensure transparency the following steps have been taken by Indian Railways:

i.  With  effect  from  01-07-2025,  tickets  under  Tatkal  Scheme  can  be booked  through  the  website  of  Indian  Railway  Catering  and  Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users. ii.  Agents  are  barred  from  booking  tickets  during  first  30  minutes  of ARP of Tatkal booking. Measures  taken  in  this  regard  have  improved  ease  of  booking  by reducing instant booking of tickets.  The system has also been made more equitable by restricting multiple bookings using fake accounts. Taking  steps  to  ensure  transparency  in  booking  of  Tatkal  tickets based on feedback received on various platforms is a continuous and ongoing process.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2785 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Allotment of Unused Coal Blocks for Research Purpose
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Manickam Tagore B, Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar, Shri Vijayakumar Alias Vijay Vasanth

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 2785

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## ALLOTMENT OF UNUSED COAL BLOCKS FOR RESEARCH PURPOSE

## 2785.   SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B: SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH: SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR:

Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

(a) the details of list of all unused coal blocks currently identified and available for research purposes across the country;

(b) the criteria adopted by the Government to designate specific coal blocks as suitable for research activities including geological, environmental and logistical factors considered during this evaluation;

(c) the number of coal blocks that have been allotted to research institutions, universities, or private researchers during the last five years along with the scope of the research conducted;

(d) the details of the application and approval process for researchers seeking access to unused coal blocks;

(e) the measures put in place to ensure that research activities in these coal blocks comply with environmental protection and safety standards;

(f) the manner in which the Government facilitate collaboration between coal researchers and mining companies for the development of innovative coal utilization technologies; and (g) whether the Government has conducted any impact assessment of research activities on the ecological and social environment of these unused coal blocks, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) : At present, no unused coal block has been identified and allotted for research purposes by the Government. However, researches are being done by coal companies on active coal blocks. Further, CIL is conducting R&D work on underground coal gasification in abandoned coal mine of ECL.

(b): At present, there is no criteria specified to designate specific coal blocks as suitable for research activities including geological, environmental and logistical factors.

(c): During the last  five  years,  no coal  block  has  been  allotted  to  research  institutions, universities,  or  private  researchers.   However,  for  active  coal  blocks,  different  research activities are taken up by coal companies.

(d): At present, no application or approval process has been prescribed for researchers for seeking access to unused coal blocks.

(e) to (g): Does not arise in view of reply to part (a) above.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2780 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Installation of RO Plants/RO Water ATMs at Railway Stations
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Anand Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2780 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## INSTALLATION OF RO PLANTS/RO WATER ATMs AT RAILWAY STATIONS

† 2780. DR. ANAND KUMAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the limited facility of a potable drinking water at most of the railway stations in the country on account of which passengers are forced to buy expensive bottled water, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government plans to install RO water plants or RO water ATMs  at railway stations to provide clean drinking water at a subsidised/minimum rates to passengers;
- (c) if so, the proposed action plan and the progress made so far in that regard; and
- (d) if not, the details of the Government plan, if any to launch any such scheme  in  the  near  future  to  provide  the  facility  of  potable  drinking water at cheaper rates to the common passengers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (d) Ministry of Railways is committed to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities free of cost at all stations over Indian Railways as one of the minimum essential amenities.

Indian  Railways  ensure  ample  water  supply  at  railway  stations  by assessing  expected consumption,  making alternative  arrangements for shortfalls  and  collaboration  with  municipalities,  local  water  tanker suppliers, and other sources as needed.

To  ensure  the  quality  of  drinking  water  being  made  available  at  the railway  stations,  instruction  exist  for  periodical  checking  and  required corrective  action  to  be  taken.  Regular  inspection  and  maintenance  of drinking  water  facilities  is  carried  out  and  complaints  are  attended promptly.

With  the  objective  to  provide  drinking  water  of  prescribed  standard  to passengers at reasonable price, Water Vending Machines (WVM) are also installed at stations to cater to the needs of travelling passengers.

Presently,  1226 Water  Vending  Machines  are  operational  at  stations across the country.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2779 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Raids  on  Dark Stores
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2779

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## RAIDS ON DARK STORES

## 2779.   SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the  Government has carried out  any  study/survey  regarding  the  issue  of  dark  stores  not maintaining proper standards during the last five years if so, the details thereof;
- (b) if so, the details regarding the total number of raids carried out by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on Dark stores during the last five years in a State-wise manner especially in Andhra Pradesh;
- (c) the details and the list of companies whose dark stores were found to be violative of the established regulations along with total amount of fines collected from each of them during the last five years, especially those based in Andhra Pradesh;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  suspended  functioning  of  any  such  dark  stores  during  the  last  five years and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has conducted any awareness campaigns regarding the required standards for dark stores; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE

## CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L.VERMA)

(a)  to  (d)  :  In  FY  2024-25,  the  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  (BIS)  conducted  market  surveillance  of products sold  through  e-commerce  and  quick  commerce  platforms.  A  total  of  344  samples,  falling under  mandatory  BIS  certification  as  per  various  Quality  Control  Orders,  were  procured.  Out  of these, 142 samples were found to be without a valid BIS Certification.

Since FY 2024-25, investigations into these violations have led to search and seizure operations at  22  warehouses of E-commerce platforms. These include three search and seizure operations each in the States/UTs of Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra; two search and seizure operations each in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu; and one search and seizure operation each in Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Company-wise details of the warehouses where these search and seizure operations were conducted are as follows:

- (i) Amazon - 14 warehouses
- (ii) Instakart - 7 warehouses
- (iii) Blinkit - 1 warehouse

(e) & (f) :  A series of enforcement raids have been conducted on dark stores of e-commerce companies, and wide publicity has been given through print media, social media, and electronic media including BIS social media handles on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/indianstandards/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ IndianStandards/) and Twitter(X) (https://x.com/IndianStandards) to generate awareness amongst stakeholders.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2775 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: PRS Centre in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Thiru Arun Nehru

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2775 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## PRS CENTRE IN PERAMBALUR, TAMIL NADU

## 2775 .    THIRU ARUN NEHRU

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that Perambalur in Tamil Nadu, does not have a computerized  Passenger  Reservation  System    (PRS)  centre    forcing residents to travel to other districts;
- (b) If so, the details of the number of representations received from the public and elected officials demanding the establishment of a PRS centre in Perambalur during the last five years;
- (c) whether  any  feasibility  study  has  been  conducted  to  assess  the viability and potential passenger volume for a new reservation centre in the district;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  details  of  the  timeline  by  when  the  Government  proposes  to sanction and establish a PRS centre in Perambalur?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (e) :  Passenger Reservation System  (PRS) centre at a location is established  as  per  the  extant policy guidelines and subject to technical ….2/-

feasibility  and  commercial  viability.    In  accordance  with  the  policy guidelines, one PRS centre was commissioned and is presently functional at New Bus Stand complex in Perambalur town since January 2005.  This is considered adequate for the present volume of booking.  Further, both reserved and unreserved tickets can be booked online also, which is an easier and convenient way to get the tickets from anywhere, anytime.

Railways  has  recently  launched  RailOne  App.    This  App  enables passengers  to  book  reserved  as  well  as  unreserved  tickets  on  mobile phone.  This, in effect, brings the PRS facility to passenger's palm.

Proposals/representations, both formal and informal for provision of PRS  centre  at  a  location  are  received  from  Members  of  Parliament, elected  representatives,  organizations/rail  users  etc.  at  various  levels including Railway Board, Zonal Railways, Divisional Office etc. As receipt of such proposals/representations is a continuous and dynamic process, centralized  compendium  of  such  requests  is  not  maintained.  However, these  are  examined  and  action  as  found  feasible  and  justified  is  taken from time to time.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2768 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Railway Over Bridge (ROB) in Mangalpur
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Sunil Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2768

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025

## RAILWAY OVER BRIDGE (ROB) IN MANGALPUR

## †2768. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether a Railway Over Bridge (ROB) is being constructed in Mangalpur of Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (b) whether the pace of construction of this ROB is very slow and the quality of construction is also not upto the mark, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to instruct the concerned officials  to  ensure  quality  control  and  timely  completion  of said ROB; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (d) :  Level Crossing (LC) No. 55 between Bagha-Awasani Halt section of Samastipur Division is situated at National Highway  (NH) No. 728.

As  per  the  Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MOU)  between and Highways/National  Highway  Authority  of  India  (MoRTH/NHAI)  dt. National

Ministry of Railway and Ministry of Road Transport 10.11.2014, MoRTH/NHAI  has  to  replace all LCs on Highways by ROBs/RUBs on single entity basis at their cost.

Accordingly,  the  work  of  construction  of  ROB  in  lieu  of  LC No.55 has been taken up by NH Division, Motihari on Single entity basis. General Arrangement Drawing (GAD) has been approved. Completion  &  commissioning  of  ROB/RUB  works  depends  on various  factors  like  cooperation  of   State  Governments  in  giving consent for closure of LC,  fixing of approach alignment, approval of General  Arrangement  Drawing  (GAD),  land  acquisition,  removal  of encroachment,  shifting  of  infringing  utilities,  statutory  clearances from  various  authorities,   law  and  order  situation  in  the  area  of project /  work sites,  duration of working season in a year for the particular project /  area   due to climatic conditions etc.  All these factors affect the completion time of the projects / works.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 2767 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: 5G and 6G Development Projects under TTDF
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Dr. D. Purandeswari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2767 ANSWERED ON 6 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## 5G AND 6G DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS UNDER TTDF

## 2767.   DR. D. PURANDESWARI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the ongoing 5G and 6G development projects under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) including their scope, objectives and expected timeline of completion;

(b) the total financial allocation made under TTDF for these projects along with the progress made so far in terms of technology development and trials;

(c) the involvement of private sector companies, research institutions and universities in these projects and the expected role of local innovators in driving 5G and 6G advancements;

(d) the  manner  in  which  the  TTDF  is  expected  to  contribute  to  India's  global  leadership  in telecom technology, particularly in 5G and 6G standards; and

(e) the  details  of  the  plans,  if  any,  to  enhance  the  TTDF  to  support further advancements in telecom technologies beyond 6G in the coming years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) to (e) Telecom  Technology  Development  Fund  (TTDF)  Scheme  was  launched  on  1st October  2022.  The  scheme  aims  to  fund  Research  and  Development  (R&D)  and  innovation  in telecom  technologies,  fostering  collaboration  between  academia,  start-ups,  MSMEs,  research institutes, and industry to enhance the telecom ecosystem in India.

A total 110 projects related to 5G and 6G amounting to Rs. 304.70 Crores have been approved under TTDF scheme till 30.06.2025. The duration of these R&D projects ranges from 1 to 5 years. These projects are currently in the initial stages of development. For 5G and 6G advancements, TTDF scheme  is  supporting  various  technological  domain  funding  involving  government  &  private institutions, MSMEs, start-ups etc.

*****