ADGMIN works on ASEAN-India Digital Work Plan for 2026
India has offered to share best practices with ASEAN partners from its Sanchar Saathi initiative for telecom user protection and fraud prevention.
The offer was made by Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications at the 6th ASEAN–India Digital Ministers’ (ADGMIN) Meeting held virtually on 16 Jan.
Agrawal and his co-chair Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Science and Technology of Viet Nam, also reaffirmed the shared commitment of ASEAN Member States and India to deepen cooperation in the digital domain.
The ADGMIN is an annual forum of Telecom and Digital Ministers from the 11 ASEAN Member States: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Viet Nam along with ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners including Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States https://digitalinasia.com/.
The meeting deliberated on key issues aimed at strengthening regional digital cooperation, with a focus on digital inclusion and integration.
The Meeting acknowledged the adoption of the ASEAN–India Joint Statement on Advancing Digital Transformation at the 21st ASEAN-India Summit on 10 October 2024 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, aimed at strengthening cooperation on Digital Public Infrastructure, Financial Technology, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing, and Sustainable Financing and Investment https://www.nseindia.com/.
The Meeting also noted the progress made in implementing the cooperation activities in the ASEAN-India 2025 Digital Work Plan through capacity-building programs https://www.bseindia.com/.
Additionally, the Meeting welcomed the ASEAN-India Digital Work Plan for 2026, which includes the themes: (i) ICT training/capacity building programs; (ii) the India-ASEAN Regulators’ Conference and (iii) deployment of telecom ICT solutions. The Meeting also welcomed operationalization of a special ‘ASEAN-India Fund for Digital Future’.
Addressing the meeting, Agrawal reaffirmed India’s strong commitment to ASEAN-India digital cooperation and welcomed the theme “Adaptive ASEAN: From Connectivity to Connected Intelligence.”
He said, “We have collectively worked to narrow digital divides, strengthen infrastructure, and ensure that digital transformation serves as a force for inclusion, resilience, and economic growth.”
He highlighted India’s rapid digital transformation, including near-universal 4G coverage, the world’s fastest 5G rollout, expanded rural broadband connectivity through BharatNet, and India’s emergence as a major mobile manufacturing hub.
Further, he showcased India’s Digital Public Infrastructure such as Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker as proven platforms for inclusive growth and efficient service delivery http://bbnl.nic.in.
Emphasizing the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence, India outlined its IndiaAI Mission, with a strong focus on Safe and Trusted AI, and expressed readiness to collaborate with ASEAN on AI capacity building, standards development, and practical use cases.
Agrawal elaborated, “As we move from connectivity to intelligence, Artificial Intelligence will be a defining force. India approaches AI with a clear conviction: innovation must be aligned with responsibility, transparency, and public trust https://sbi.com.in/.”
The meeting reaffirmed the shared vision of India and ASEAN for building an open, secure, inclusive, and innovation-driven digital ecosystem to support mutual growth and regional prosperity. Fiinews.com
