Sunil Bharti MittalBharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, said on Wednesday that supply chain disruptions made the world a difficult place when it comes to internet connectivity for everyone, and they hope that some sort of sanity returns at the soonest.
The world has become more difficult,'' he said. We didn't think there would be so many supply chain disruptions. China's equipment was being supplied at a fast pace and at low costs, but that is not the case anymore, Mittal said.
Some businesses have moved on but at a much higher cost. He said that he really hopes that we bring back sanity to supply chains at the very soonest.
He was speaking at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 in San Francisco during a session on 'advancing digital cooperation' moderated by Observer Research Foundation President Samir Saran.
In 2023, the United Nations hopes to agree on a Global Digital Compact, a multi-stakeholder understanding between states, the private sector and civil society on how to achieve the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation.
There are topics such as connectivity, artificial intelligence, Internet governance, safety and security, and data governance, all of which require the involvement of all stakeholders, not only governments.
The panelists discussed whether digital cooperation changes the way in which one thinks about governing.
Mittal said: "We Bharti group operate in countries that are still working on building infrastructure, be it India, Bangladesh or sub-Sahara countries, but we have been able to do business because of the commitments made on creating digital highways.
There's still a long way to go to make everyone connected. It is the duty of everyone to bring them online, because those who are not yet connected are at a huge disadvantage. He said that everyone will be able to access essential services, whether it's health services, medicines, education or other essential services.