Russia proposes ICT group for BRICS: Prasad

New Delhi: India will give a structured response on a Russian proposal to set up an ICT group among the BRICS nations to deliberate on common issues in this area, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.

Russia's minister for telecom and mass communications Nikolai Nikiforov met Prasad and conveyed the proposal regarding the group on Information and Communications Technology in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping.

"Today he had come with a proposal for a BRICS meeting of heads of state that is going to take place in July in Russia and...A need for the ICT ministers to work in close cooperation for a variety of issues including cyber security where there is immense scope of work," Prasad said.

He added: "I have fully reciprocated his sentiments. India will come with a structured response but this idea of Russia to take initiative among BRICS nations to form a group whereby we can articulate issues of common concern is indeed quite a welcome step."

Nikiforov said the initiative of a separate ICT track on the BRICS platform is mooted because this segment is playing an important role in BRICS countries and the platform is the wonderful political platform to discuss and unite efforts of leading countries.

"I am satisfied by the meeting, we discussed a lot of telecom such as how to decrease international roaming tariffs, to improve electronic government services and many other topics," he said.

He added that Russia also has a project like Digital India, which aims at connecting small villages.