News Broadcasting
Internet connections to increase 3- fold: Maran
BANGALORE: Internet connections would increase from 5.45 million in December 2004 to 18 million by 2007. By this time, broadband connection is targeted to touch nine million, according to communications and IT minsiter Dayanidhi Maran.
Inaugurating a mobile manufacturing facility of Elcoteq in the city,Maran claimed that BSNL’s Data-One service had performed above expectations in the market.
“The present demand for BSNL’s broadband Data-One service is in excess of 180,000, far more than envisaged when we launched this. However I’ve been promised that by the end of this month the waiting list will be cleared,” he said.
Speaking on making BSNL cell phone connections available for Cell-One subscribers, Maran said, he had committed to complete the process within six months.
Dwelling on the progress the telecom industry is making, Maran said the target was 250 million landline connections in the next three years. “This will help achieve a tele-density of around 22 per cent. Of the projected new 150 million lines, around 75-80 million connections will be provided by BSNL,” he said.
Regarding the present spectrum policy, Maran said that it would take care of the 3G issues. “It was up to the private operators to roll out their plans relating to 3G . MTNL has already called for tenders for 3G networks. Trai would be consulted on any further issues with spectrum allocation as they would be coming out with a policy on this,” he said.
Maran also informed that Nokia would open their manufacturing facility in Chennai in nine months.
News Broadcasting
Business Today MindRush returns to Mumbai, spotlight on India’s edge in a fractured world
Policymakers and corporate heavyweights gather to map supply chains, energy security and markets
MUMBAI: As fault lines widen across global trade and geopolitics, Business Today is doubling down on India’s moment. The 14th edition of Business Today MindRush & Best CEOs Awards lands in Mumbai on March 28, pitching India’s strategic edge at the centre of a fragmenting world.
The day-long summit, presented by PwC, will bring together a tight mix of policymakers, industry leaders and market voices to decode shifting supply chains, maritime strategy, defence priorities, energy security and capital markets—sectors now deeply entangled with geopolitics.
M Nagaraju, secretary, department of financial services, ministry of finance, will headline the event, setting the tone for discussions that aim to track how India is repositioning itself amid disrupted trade routes and volatile energy dynamics.
The speaker slate reads like a cross-section of India Inc’s command centre. Krishna Swaminathan will zero in on sea lanes and supply chains, while Prashant Ruia is set to push the case for self-reliance in oil and gas. Ashish Chauhan will weigh in on capital markets at a pivotal juncture, as a panel featuring Vibha Padalkar, Sanjiv Mehta, Amish Mehta and Sanjeev Krishan debates navigating economic uncertainty.
Leadership under pressure will be another running theme. Madhavkrishna Singhania, Sharvil Patel, Karan Bhagat and Anurag Choudhary will unpack how businesses are steering through disruption. Arun Alagappan will turn the spotlight on fertilisers, Arundhati Bhattacharya will reflect on leadership transitions, while Anish Shah and S Vellayan will outline blueprints for building future-ready conglomerates.
The event will close with Aroon Purie setting the broader editorial lens, before the Best CEOs Awards recognise standout corporate leadership across sectors.
At a time when the global order looks increasingly splintered, MindRush 2026 is positioning itself as more than a conference—it is a signal that India intends not just to navigate the churn, but to shape it.
