Internet users may reach 50 crore in next 5 to 8 months in India: Ravi Shankar Prasad

NEW DELHI: Indian telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the number of Internet users in the country is expected to go up to 50 crore, from the present over 40 crore, in next 5 to 8 months while speaking at the Indore Management Association Conclave on Reinventing Growth.

The Minister said that according to our estimate, out of these, 70 per cent people are going to access Internet through mobile phones.

About 100 crore people, out of the population of India of nearly 125 crore, have mobile phones. Every month, 20-35 lakh mobile users are added,” he said at event.

Going ahead, “By the end of 2015 India received Rs 1.27 lakh crore of  FDI in electronics sectors. This shows confidence of investors in Make in India,” Prasad said on his twitter account.

On the other hand, the Minister said that when BJP government left in 2004 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL was in profit of Rs 10000 crore when BJP came back in 2014 BSNL was in loss of Rs 8000 crore.

BSNL  is an Indian state-owned telecommunications company , had reported an operating profit of Rs 672 crore for the financial year 2015. The telecom firm had last posted annual profit of Rs 211.7 crore in 2008-09.

“Today BSNL has generated operating profits of Rs 672 crore. This is good governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said on his social media account.

However, The Minister has launched Whatsaap based complaint redressal system of BSNL for Madhya Pradesh circle. This will further improve customer services.

He has also launched special BSNL connectivity services for the upcoming Simhasth Kumbh mela of Ujjain and inaugurated public WiFi hotspots of BSNL at Indore.