DoT, UNDP hold national workshop to push circular economy in telecom sector

New Delhi, Dec 19 The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on Friday organised a national workshop aimed at accelerating the adoption of circular economy practices in India’s telecom industry.

The workshop, titled "Advancing Circular Economy in the Telecom Sector Enabling Policy and Practice", brought together policymakers, industry executives, technology providers, academics, international organisations and other value-chain stakeholders to discuss ways to make the telecom sector more sustainable, resource-efficient, and environmentally responsible, a Communications Ministry statement said.

Discussions focused on rethinking the telecom supply chain to improve circularity, including design for sustainability, component reuse and harvesting, sustainable procurement, and policy interventions required to overcome existing challenges. Participants also deliberated on government initiatives supporting circular practices and the role of industry in adopting scalable solutions.

A key session examined the use of digital tools to support the transition towards a circular economy. Speakers highlighted how digital platforms, data tools and emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) can enhance traceability, improve material recovery and bring greater transparency to extended producer responsibility (EPR) implementation.

Officials and experts also discussed the Central Pollution Control Board’s perspective on leveraging digital systems for effective monitoring, as well as the integration of data analytics to support better decision-making across the telecom value chain.

In the concluding session, participants stressed that India’s telecom sector must move beyond discussions and focus on implementation. The need for coordinated, ecosystem-level action was underlined, along with the importance of creating an enabling policy framework and strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration.

The workshop concluded with a call for shared ownership of the transition—where the government provides strategic direction and enabling conditions, industry leads innovation and adoption, and partners support implementation, capacity building and financing—to ensure that circular economy principles are effectively embedded in India’s rapidly expanding telecom sector.

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