For Internet-of-Things (IoT) to reach the masses, platforms should be interoperable so that any devices can plug in and offer services, said N Sivasailam, Special Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Addressing the curtain raiser for the 3rd edition of the IoT India Congress 2018 that will happen on October 9-10 in Bengaluru, Sivasailam said that with so much talk about IoT, there is a need to get something on ground in terms of policy and implementation in areas that will improve the quality of life such as healthcare, education and agriculture.

But for that to happen, the high network connectivity, 5G now, should be mass-based rather than accessed by elitist like in the case of 2G. With reports suggesting that connected devices will increase 5 billion in the IoT ecosystem to reach $15 billion in 2022, there needs to be a lot of focus on interoperability, standards and manufacturing in India.

The DoT has formed a committee on application layer interfaces with private players to provide interoperability. “Interoperability is the key and for that platforms are important. You need to be able to plug on to any platform and offer services,” Sivasailam said.

Even as everyone is working towards connected platforms, standards have to be followed upfront rather than later. Sivasailam said that India should also be made a part, while Indian and international agencies are developing expertise and conducting trials while setting up standards.

“We are talking about 5 billion devices and $15 billion IoT ecosystem in 2022. How are we going to do this? We cannot import all of them because there is not enough money,” Sivasailam said.

“Make in India is a key element here. Companies can make for India and the globe,” he added. This will give the opportunities to engineers that they lack and could create impact across different verticals.

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