Event ReportsPublished on Sep 03, 2015
India supports freedom of speech and expression in Internet. But, security is equally important to India, and terrorism is a huge problem. Therefore, a secure architecture should recognise the role that the state can play, says the Indian Minister for Communication and Technology.
India is for global, broad-based internet architecture: Minister

India supports freedom of speech and expression in Internet. But, security is equally important to India, and terrorism is a huge problem. Therefore, a secure architecture should recognise the role that the state can play, says the Indian Minister for Communication and Technology.

India is for global, broad-based internet architecture: Minister

The future governance model of the internet must be both equitable and effective. The global nature of the internet means no one can claim an early-arrival advantage and create a tyranny of incumbency, according to Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, Indian Minister for Communications and Information Technology.

He was delivering the inaugural address during an event on the "Digital Pivot to Asia", created to bring global debates surrounding internet governance to the general public in India. It was organised by Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with CNBC-TV18 on March 9.

The keynote address was given by Mr Fadi Chehadé, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Mr Prasad began by highlighting the change in India since the election of the current government in May 2014. He noted that India was second only to China in terms of numbers of internet users, and the second largest consumer of smart phones globally. Describing the growth of India’s e-commerce market, he emphasised the business that common and even poor people were able to conduct because of the internet.

Furthering these developments is the government’s Digital India programme, designed to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots, the digitally literate and illiterate. Its three key themes are the building of digital infrastructure, the digital delivery of services and finally digital empowerment.

When India first stepped up to the global internet stage, questions were asked about whether India would be able to compete and deliver quality products on time. Indian internet companies replied resoundingly and left no doubt about the quality of their work. Mr Prasad said that Indian enterprise and intellectual creativity has created jobs, including in electronic manufacturing, which India is actively promoting. Projects like the National Optic Fibre Network (NOFN) are politics-neutral and centre-state neutral. We have to work together to pursue the larger architecture of Digital India which is to prepare India for the digital future.

The architecture of the internet must also be global and broad-based, in addition to being technology-agnostic and most importantly, supporting interoperability. Global connectivity raises questions of jurisdiction and dispute resolution as differing values come into contact. India supports freedom of speech and expression, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution of India. However, security is equally important to India, and terrorism is a huge problem. The internet can promote both these wildly different ideals. Therefore, a secure architecture should recognise the role that the state can play.

Mr Chehadé opened by saying that the digital world is not complete without a digital India, and India is central to what the internet is on a global level. He went on to describe India as a digital incumbent, a driver in the digital world. The country has a wealth of experience as Indian companies, engineers and other minds permeate the very fabric of the digital economy, both in India and overseas.

Political and bureaucratic developments in India have meant that India’s energy is changing. People in India, from officials down to individuals, have a new spirit of ’can do’ and ’can change’. The culmination of this potential would be India becoming a super power in the digital economy. Mr Chehadé went on to explain that while powers play a key role in shaping how the global debate is managed, super powers shape the direction of the debate. India could go on to shape the future of the internet.

ICANN is one of many institutions that work towards shaping the direction of the internet. Changes are currently taking place in ICANN to create more inclusive frameworks for newly developing economies in Asia and Africa. Many of these institutions, including ICANN, have a very US-centric pedigree and origin. This model is unsustainable, putting off many players who do not want to simply follow US leadership unquestioningly.

No other open, democratic society can match India’s rate of growth - over 3 million internet users and 7 million new ones each month. With the US announcing last year that it would step away from its oversight role, the responsibility is shifting to ICANN. Indians must drive the change going forward as decisions are made about how the digital economy is governed.

The internet is a global resource, and a balanced governance approach which recognises that but also respects national boundaries is needed. The internet is an unstoppable force which should be governed by multiple options and mechanisms. Ultimately it needs a polycentric model, a distributed type of governance.

Mr Prasad expanded his comments in response to a question from the audience, saying that the state could be a facilitator, bringing the internet to all citizens and providing them support. Following an audience query, Mr Chehade reiterated the usefulness of the internet for development and welfare, saying that the Digital India programme could be a beacon for the world. He said the speed of the internet presents a major challenge, as administrative, legal and other mechanisms are not currently as fast as the internet, though progress is being made on that front. It is important to work around principles of the internet, rather than becoming mired in discussions about labels like multistakeholderism or multilateralism - a principle-based approach is the way forward.

(This report was prepared by Vindu Mai Chotani, Research Assistant, and Anahita Mathai, Junior Fellow, ORF.)

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