Connectivity, communications fundamental rights

New Delhi: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani- who heads India's youngest, but the largest telecom operator- on Monday pressed for bridging the digital divide 'both among nations and within nations,' saying connectivity and communications have become the fundamental rights of every person. Also, there is a need to bring back the economies around the globe, added Ambani.

Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, Ambani said: "It's difficult to imagine what India would have been without the 4G telecom network during the pandemic. The digital divide must be bridged, both among nations and within nations. This is because connectivity and communications have become the basic needs, and also fundamental rights of every human being on the planet (just) as basic as food, clothing, and shelter." "I think that this string of digital and physical (healthcare infrastructure) will be the new normal," he said. "To my mind, it is an absolute must for all economies to integrate and enhance this digital infrastructure which has been so very useful in the corona crisis." Ambani, CMD of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India's most valuable company, said Covid-19 is a once-in-a-century humanitarian crisis and the world was not prepared for it.

On his connection with the Middle East, Ambani said he was born in Yemen where his father Dhirubhai had gone to work. And "he (Dhirubhai) always said I have Arabic blood", he said, adding Reliance values its relationships with all the Arabic countries. Reliance operates the world's largest oil refining complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat.