S Gopal Puri
DHARAMSHALA:
July 31, 1995 — a day that changed India forever. It was on this date that the country took its first step into the era of mobile communication, when a phone call was made between Union Telecom Minister Sukh Ram and West Bengal’s then Chief Minister Jyoti Basu.
The call, believed to have been made using a Nokia handset on the Modi Telstra network, became a milestone moment in India’s technological journey. Three decades later, the story behind that first mobile call still resonates, especially in Himachal Pradesh as Sukh Ram was a Congress MP from Mandi.
From a Japanese chauffeur’s pocket to Indian telecom history
The idea that led to this historic leap wasn’t born in a boardroom but in the back seat of a car in Japan. During a visit as Telecom Minister, Sukh Ram noticed that his chauffeur carried a small mobile device in his pocket. That single moment, he later recalled, triggered a simple but profound question: If Japan can have this technology, why not India?
The idea gained momentum, inspired in part by the late Rajiv Gandhi, who had championed digital modernisation in India. Back home, Sukh Ram discussed his vision with Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Industries.
Ambani agreed, saying mobile communication would someday become one of the most profitable and impactful industries in the country. Today, his family runs Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator.
Facing Doubts, Fueling Dreams
Convincing the country wasn’t easy. In the early 1990s, with landlines still a luxury for many, the idea of mobile phones in every hand seemed unrealistic. Sukh Ram recalled telling a crowd during a public address: “Someday, each of you will carry a phone in your pocket. The audience laughed. Critics scoffed. But the vision stood.”
At the time, India was still cautious about liberalising its economy and the idea of private investment in telecom raised eyebrows. Despite resistance, Sukh Ram pushed ahead — even arranging for telecom equipment to be airlifted by helicopters into Himachal Pradesh’s most treacherous terrains like Pangi Valley, ensuring connectivity reached where roads didn’t.
