UN telecom body ITU to open area office for South Asia in New Delhi

Telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Houlin Zhao signed a pact virtually on Thursday to establish an area office and innovation centre of the United Nations telecom body in New Delhi. The setting up of the area office will provide greater access and engagement to India and South Asian countries in global policy and standard formation in the field of telecommunication.

"Today, the Government of India and ITU signed an agreement for setting up an area office and innovation centre for telecommunications for the entire south Asian region.

"This area office will provide opportunities for our startups and talents to develop and contribute more to telecom technology and make sure that our specific needs are reflected in the standards which are set up for telecommunications technologies," Vaishnaw told reporters after the signing ceremony.


India was a founding member of ITU when it was formed more than one-and-a-half century ago in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union but this is the first time that ITU is opening in the South Asia region with India as the host country.

"This is our dream to have our new offices everywhere in the world but over the past two decades, we could not do it. After a long time, we are opening an area office," Zhao said.

International Telegraph Union was renamed International Telecommunication Union in 1932 and became a specialised agency of the United Nations in 1947.