Nokia and India's 5G

During a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nokia President and CEO Pekka Lundmark, the two discussed the next-generation digital infrastructure and India's efforts to build it. The Prime Minister confirmed the meeting's success in a tweet, saying they discussed how technology can be leveraged for society's welfare and India's progress in building next-generation digital infrastructure.

The discussion also revolved around how Nokia can contribute to India's 5G journey and its next phase of digital transformation. Pekka Lundmark tweeted that it was a privilege to meet with the Prime Minister and discuss Nokia's role in India's 5G progress, next phase of digital transformation, and the company's potential contributions to India's 6G ambitions.

Nokia's Chief Strategy and Technology Officer Nishant Batra expressed his faith in India's 5G progress and stated that the company's manufacturing is now focusing on India. He further added that India is emerging as a big digital opportunity for this decade, from infrastructure that is 5G, applications, to the entire technology stack.

India's rapid 5G rollout has made it the second-largest market for Nokia during the December 2022 quarter. Batra believes that Nokia will remain busy in the India market for the next 2.5 to 4 years if the 5G rollout continues at the current pace.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also praised India's digital network and stated that it will be the world's cheapest 5G market due to its high percentage of smartphone users and transactions on feature phones. Gates praised India's connectivity, stating that it is reliable and affordable.