Jyotiraditya Scindia takes charge as Minister of Communications

Newly appointed union minister of communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia said the telecom division and India post have a major role to play on the global as well as local stage, as he took charge of the ministry Tuesday.

“Both the telecom division as well as the India post division have a tremendous role to play on a global stage as well as a local stage to enjoin the hearts of millions of people across the country, and across the world,” the minister said.

The 53-year old son of late Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia has previously served as civil aviation minister in the earlier Modi cabinet since 2021.

“There has been a revolution in this department and on this day I vow to persevere and put in my best to ensure that we deliver according to the aspirations of the prime minister as well the 140 crore people of the length and breadth of the country,” he added.

Scindia had previously served as the minister of state for communications under the UPA government in 2007-2009.

“It is also a little bit like coming full circle for me because I worked as a junior minister in this department in 2007-2009, and therefore for me, this is also a department with which I’ve had tremendous emotional ties,” the minister said addressing the press.

Scindia did not comment on the immediate priorities of the department, stating that he will first be taking stock of the department before commenting on matters.

One of Scindia’s immediate challenges as he takes charge of the plum communications ministry is overseeing India’s 5G spectrum auction — the telecom sector’s most watched event — which gets underway on June 25. His other key responsibility will be retaining India’s three-private player telecom market structure and ensuring cash-strapped Vodafone Idea — in which the government is the biggest stakeholder — survives.

Scindia also steps into the telecoms hot seat when global satcom biggies such as Eutelsat OneWeb, Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon Kuiper are to be given satellite spectrum via the administrative route. In fact, he will need to take the call around granting satcom service permits to Starlink and Jeff Bezos-led Amazon Kuiper in the coming days.