​​​​​​​​​​​​The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) opened the ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre today in New Delhi, India.

The new office in India's capital includes ITU's first centre for innovation, positioning it as a hub for promoting advanced technologies within the region and beyond.

“India remains committed to ITU's vision of universal, reliable, and affordable communication," said India's Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. “It is the vision of Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India contributes to ITU commensurate to her aspirations. It is a moment of joy that the ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre is being inaugurated today. I am happy to note that the Area Office will also have an Innovation Centre, which is the first of its kind under the aegis of ITU. I'm sure the Area Office and Innovation Centre will play an important role in development of new telecom technologies."​

The ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre brings together government, industry, academia and others in an entrepreneurial environment so that digital technology advancements in sectors such as agriculture, health, and education can reach the communities that need them most.

“With tremendous gratitude for the generous support of India, ITU is now able to work even closer to the people it serves," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “Meaningful connectivity and innovation are tightly linked, and we will use our new presence in South Asia to expand the benefits of digital technology for everyone, everywhere."

ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, will also use the office to strengthen collaborative action on universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation.

“ITU's new office in India will help us address the opportunities and challenges in the South Asia region," said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. “Innovation coupled with digital access, affordability, and skills should equate to transformational impact on communities in all the countries ITU serves."

ITU's presence in the wider region is led by the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok, Thailand.

The facility is located within the Centre for Development of Telematics. The office is funded by the Government of India.

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Editor's Notes:

For additional background: “ITU's Enhanced Regional Presence in South Asia for Inclusive and Sustainable Digital Transformation"

About ITU
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established over 150 years ago, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. For more information, visit www.itu.int​​