DoT–UNDP Workshop Charts Roadmap for Circular Economy in Telecom Sector

Delivering the inaugural keynote, Shri R. N. Palai, Member (Technology), Digital Communications Commission (DCC), stressed that sustainability and circularity are no longer optional for the telecom sector.

 

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organised a National Workshop on “Advancing Circular Economy in the Telecom Sector: Enabling Policy & Practice” in New Delhi today.

The workshop convened policymakers, industry leaders, technology providers, academia, international organisations, and value-chain stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of circular economy principles across India’s rapidly expanding telecom ecosystem.

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Building a Circular Telecom Value Chain

The workshop aimed to build a shared understanding of how sustainable design, efficient resource usage, lifecycle management, digital tools, and innovative financing can be integrated into the telecom value chain. Participants emphasised the need to align:

• Policy frameworks

• Industry practices

• Technology solutions

to build a resilient, resource-efficient, and sustainable telecom sector.

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Keynote Address: Circularity Now a Strategic Imperative

Delivering the inaugural keynote, Shri R. N. Palai, Member (Technology), Digital Communications Commission (DCC), stressed that sustainability and circularity are no longer optional for the telecom sector.

He noted that:

• Telecom contributes less than 2% of India’s greenhouse gas emissions

• It serves 1.2 billion users, placing a responsibility on the sector to lead climate-positive change

• Telecom is the “invisible infrastructure” powering modern services and enabling GHG reductions across other sectors

He called for a full lifecycle shift—from design and manufacturing to reuse, repairability, and e-waste management—moving away from the traditional use-and-discard model.

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UNDP’s Perspective: Need for a Time-Bound Roadmap

Dr. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, UNDP, highlighted UNDP’s collaboration with the Government of India in supporting the Circular Economy Plan for the Telecom Sector.

She urged stakeholders to:

• Develop a time-bound transition roadmap

• Strengthen policy frameworks

• Foster industry innovation and investments

• Build monitoring and accountability systems

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Circular Economy Action Plan for Telecom

A significant highlight was a detailed presentation by Shri Arun Agarwal, DDG (Satellite), DoT, covering:

• Sustainable design and manufacturing practices

• Asset lifecycle extension

• E-waste reduction

• Digital tracking systems

• Transparent supply chains

• Policy directions to support circular transformation

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Panel Discussions: Supply Chain, Design, Digital Tools

Session I: Rethinking the Telecom Supply Chain

Moderated by Shri Arun Agarwal, this panel explored:

• Design for circularity

• Component harvesting

• Sustainable procurement

• Challenges in circular value chains

• Government initiatives to support circularity

Panelists included experts from MeitY, IKEA, Vodafone Idea, GIZ, and SERI India.

Session II: Digital Tools for Circular Economy Transition

Moderated by Dr. Shilpi Karmakar, UNDP, the session focused on:

• Digital platforms for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

• Blockchain for traceability

• AI, IoT and analytics for resource recovery

• CPCB’s digital tools for compliance

Panelists included officials from TEC, CPCB, IIT Delhi, and Karo Sambhav.

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Towards Implementation: Shared Ownership and Multi-Stakeholder Action

In the concluding session, participants agreed that the telecom sector must move from dialogue to implementation. Key priorities include:

• Ecosystem-level coordination

• Enabling policies

• Strengthening collaboration platforms

• Pilot-to-scale models

• Shared ownership between government, industry, and partners

Stakeholders emphasised that government must provide direction, industry must drive innovation, and partners must support capacity-building and financing.

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Joint Commitment to a Sustainable Telecom Sector

The workshop concluded with a unified commitment by DoT, UNDP and sector stakeholders to accelerate India’s transition towards a circular, sustainable, and resilient telecom ecosystem, aligned with national climate goals and global best practices.