Page 88 - PR COMMUNICATION AGE July - December 2020

Premji at Rs 1,125 crore and Ambani's aspirational districts, districts affected The networks will be set up through
Rs 510 crore. by left-wing extremism, northeastern public data offices (PDOs) that will
With a donation of Rs 27 crore, Amit states, Laskwadeep, and other establish, maintain, and operate WANI-
Chandra and Archana Chandra of ATE islands," Modi said at the fourth compliant Wi-Fi Access Points, a
Chandra foundation are the first and edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC). government release said. Public data
only professional managers to ever The government will ensure greater office aggregators (PDOAs) will look
enter the list. spread of fixed line, broadband after authorisation work and
The list has three of Infosys' co- connectivity and public Wi-fi hotspots accounting of PDOs. App providers will
founders with Nandan Nilekani (Rs 159 to improve digital connectivity. also be part of this ecosystem, and will
crore), S Gopalkrishnan (Rs 50 crore) Representatives of various government help in registering users and aid them
and S D Shibulal (Rs 32 crore). departments, heads of telecom in discovering nearby WANI-compliant
The list of 109 individuals who have companies such as Bharti Enterprises Wi-Fi hotspots.
donated over Rs 5 crore has seven chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal and
women, led by Rohini Nilekani's Rs 47 Reliance Industries Ltd chairman Must raise spending on
crore. Mukesh Ambani, and experts in 5G, AI, R&D: Niti Aayog CEO
internet of things, data analytics, cloud
Education is the highest beneficiary and edge computing, blockchain, India must increase its expenditure on
sector with 90 philanthropists, led by cyber-security, smart cities and research and development, enhance
Premji and Nadar, donating Rs 9,324 automation, are taking part in IMC innovation and strengthen its
crore, the report said, adding 2020. intellectual property rights (IPR)
healthcare came second with 84 regime to enable high-end
donors and was followed by disaster The event's theme, "Inclusive manufacturing a reality, NITI Aayog
relief and rehabilitation with 41 donors. Innovation: Smart, Secure, CEO Amitabh Kant said.
Sustainable", aims to align with the
The financial capital led by donor count Recounting the multiple steps that the
at 36, followed by New Delhi at 20 and Prime Minister's vision to promote
Bengaluru at 10. Aatmanirbhar Bharat, digital government has taken in the past to
inclusivity, and sustainable make India a preferred investment
E-commerce firm Flipkart's co-founder development, entrepreneurship and destination, Kant said infrastructure
Binny Bansal was the youngest donor innovation, according to a statement will be the key driver for India's
at 37 with a commitment of Rs 5.3 from the prime minister's office. growth.
crore and the average age of the
donors on the list was 66 years, it said.
Cabinet approves setting NHAI to invite Pvt Cos to
India must work together up of public Wi-Fi network build logistic parks
to ensure timely 5G To ensure seamless digital connectivity The National Highways Authority of
at affordable rates, the Union India (NHAI) is set to invite private
rollout government approved a proposal to set
India needs to work together to ensure up public Wi-Fi networks across the players to build multi-modal logistics
parks (MMLPs), with the earliest bids
a timely rollout of 5G technology to country, which will be called PM Wi-Fi
leapfrog into the future and empower Access Network Interface, or PM- likely to be awarded in the April-June
millions, Prime Minister Narendra WANI. quarter next year, a senior official
Modi said. aware of the matter said.
"The Cabinet has taken a decision to
"We are embarking on a plan to ensure launch PM Wi-Fi Access Network The government had given approvals
that over the next three years, every Interface to unleash a massive network for around 35 multi-modal logistics
village will have high speed fibre optic in the country. Public data centres will parks as part of Bharatmala, its
connectivity. There is a fibre optic cable be opened in the country. There will flagship highways development
at Andaman and Nicobar Island. We be no licence, fee or registration for programme. The planning work on two
are coming out with programmes that it," Information Technology & Telecom such parks, one in Chennai and the
focus exclusively on places that can Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told other in Nagpur, is underway, the
make the best of such connectivity, reporters. official told. R

88 PR COMMUNICATION AGE July - December 2020