TCIL pursuing opportunities to deploy UPI, digital ID solutions overseas, says CMD Sanjeev Kumar
NEW DELHI: The
Telecommunications Consultants of India Limited
(
TCIL
) is pursuing opportunities in foreign countries to deploy
unified payments interface
(UPI)-led services and
digital ID solutions
.
'Another technology that is getting a lot of recognition in the overseas markets is the UPI and digital IDs. So TCIL is also pursuing opportunities to deploy these solutions,' Sanjeev Kumar, CMD, TCIL, told ETTelecom in an interview.
UPI, part of India's homegrown digital stack, is already live in over seven countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, and Mauritius, allowing Indians to make online payments internationally in a seamless manner.
UPI remains the cornerstone of India's digital payment ecosystem, contributing to 80% of the retail payments across the country. The total transaction volume exceeded 131 billion and the value exceeded ₹200 lakh crore for the FY 2023-24, the
Ministry of Finance
said in February this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, has actively pitched for UPI's expansion within the BRICS grouping, which may boost remittance flows, improve financial inclusion, and improve India's positioning in the global financial ecosystem.
Kumar further said TCIL is working with international organisations to deploy indigenous
4G technology
, particularly in countries such as Angola, Gambia, Zambia, Botswana, and others.
'In addition to that, our focus is on telemedicine solutions and e-smart class solutions as well. We are in advanced discussions with Angola, Gambia and Zambia, which have shown interest in 4G deployment,' he added.
The top executive further said European countries and Australia have shown interest in adopting the early warning disaster management solutions developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT).
The telecom PSU has empanelled more than 300 startups and MSMEs as its partners to implement various projects, Kumar said, adding that TCIL offers flexible policies to award deals to these entities.
'We can award a work worth up to ₹10 crore to any startup, and once that work is completed, it can be awarded more deals. That way, it helps a startup to build up its financial strength and experience criteria,' the executive said.
According to TCIL, Indian startups have a 'bright future' ahead, particularly in the artificial intelligence (AI) segment which is seeing the launch of new solutions catering to various industries.
The Mini Ratna telecom PSU has already executed projects in over 70 countries. Its overseas operations are currently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Mauritius, and Nepal, apart from the ongoing pan Africa e-Vidya Bharti and Arogya Bharti Network project operating in more than 15 African countries.
The company is also executing several government projects such as the Defence NFS project, Navy OFC projects, Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)-funded APSFL and Telengana Fiber Projects, Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) VSAT, Eklavya School, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Super Edge, Teaching Learning Material for Bihar Education Council, among others.
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