India is becoming the manufacturing hub of the world, said Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while speaking at the event Viksit Bharat Ambasaddor at National Stock Exchange, Mumbai.

He highlighted that India has rolled out the world’s fastest 5G network with indigenously developed equipment and also cited the example of a girl from a village in Bihar and said, after training she is operating complex mobile equipment with great confidence.

He said “Recently, I went to a mobile manufacturing factory. There is a girl from Patna, who is operating a very complex machine called SMT. She is operating that machine. I asked her how difficult it was for her. She said that in the beginning, after seeing the machine, I used to wonder what it is. But after some training and practice, confidence increased”

He further said, “I asked her, what is the biggest change in your life? She said, that when I go back to the village, I get more respect than the village head, MLA and MP. Village people say, she manufactures mobile.”

The minister also highlighted that while most of Europe still relies on 3G and 4G networks, India has already implemented 5G as early as 2022.

He said, “Most of Europe you won’t find 5G. There was mostly 3G, 4G was also not there in many places.”

Moreover, he also emphasized the rapid pace of the 5G network deployment in India, with the 5G towers installed in very less time.

“India started 5G on 1st October 2022. 1st October. In the time frame of 18 – 19 months, 4,35,000 towers of 5G were installed,” he added.

The minister highlighted that the world is amazed now with the speed of the 5G roll out that happened in the country and now the entire world is looking at India and acknowledges India as a leader in this aspect.

“The world’s fastest rollout of 5G has happened in India. And the whole world is surprised by this. Now in the world, everyone says that if it happens in India, it will be of a different scale” the minister added.

During the event the minister also highlighted that the equipment used in the 5G technology were also developed indigenously which highlights the technological advancement of the country.

“The equipment used in the 5G rollout, 80 per cent of that equipment is made in India. That’s something which is amazing. That is what is currently happening in our country,” he added.