India has officially nominated M. Revathi, Joint Wireless Adviser in the Department of Telecommunications’ Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing, for the position of Director of the Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau (TSB) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the 2027–2030 term.
Revathi, a seasoned expert in telecommunications and space technology, is one of several global contenders from France, Japan, Germany and other countries announced during the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC-25) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The position she seeks plays a pivotal role in shaping international telecom standards and regulatory frameworks, especially as digital infrastructure worldwide undergoes rapid and complex transformation.
Her nomination comes at a crucial time, with competition in satellite communications intensifying. As private giants like Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper accelerate satellite deployments, experts caution that orbital access—legally a shared resource under the Outer Space Treaty of 1967—is increasingly being consolidated by corporations in developed nations. This shift risks deepening the digital divide and constraining equitable access for developing economies.
Speaking at the High-Level Segment on Day 1 of WTDC-25, Minister of State for Communications, C.S. Pemmasani, described India’s bid as a strategic move to strengthen the voice of the Global South. He emphasized India’s role as a connector between developed and developing nations, underscoring the importance of equitable technology access and frameworks that support meaningful technology transfer to low- and middle-income countries.
With the ITU’s election cycle now underway, final voting will take place at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26) in Doha, Qatar, in November 2026. The election outcome is expected to influence global digital governance and guide how countries protect their digital sovereignty in the years ahead.
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