The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Telecom Egypt, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI), and Tejas Networks, the global broadband, optical, and wireless networking company. The aim is to deepen the local manufacturing of telecom equipment in Egypt and establish Tejas Academy to build capacity following the latest networking and telecom technologies.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of India to Egypt Ajit Gupte, with the participation of the Ambassador of Egypt to India Wael Hamed via videoconference.
The MoU was signed by Telecom Egypt Managing Director and CEO Mohamed Nasr, ITIDA CEO Ahmed Elzaher, NTI Director Ahmed Khattab, and Tejas CEO and Managing Director Anand Athreya.
Under the MoU, Tejas will manufacture telecom equipment in Egypt using Fiber to the Home (FTTH) technology and will receive export incentives. The company will also set up an engineering research and development (ER&D) center alongside a technical support center to serve its customers in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East.
As part of the capacity-building efforts, the company will establish Tejas Academy to train and certify Egyptian engineers through NTI to provide technical support in networking and fiber optics. Tejas will carry out a TOT program for 25 trainers at NTI and make its training material available.
In his remarks, the ICT Minister emphasized that the MoU is a result of discussions that began in January 2023 to foster ICT cooperation between Egypt and India. He explained that the MoU covers telecom equipment manufacturing in Egypt, aiming to achieve an added value of at least 45%, and to provide training for youth in equipment maintenance and technical support during operation. Additionally, the MoU includes the establishment of a telecom R&D unit in collaboration between Tejas and NTI.
The cooperation is also aimed at attracting Indian investments in Egypt and promoting the indigenization of the telecom equipment industry, thereby contributing to the development of digital infrastructure nationwide, reducing imports, and exporting such equipment to neighboring markets. Additionally, this step seeks to create job opportunities in technical support and equipment maintenance and installation services during operation, while also nurturing research specialists in various ICT fields.
Hamed highlighted the enhanced aspects of cooperation between Egypt and India following President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to India in 2023. He emphasized that the ICT sector serves as a cornerstone in Egyptian-Indian relations, representing a mutual area of interest for both nations, especially in light of the cooperation agreement aimed at fostering collaboration in this industry. Furthermore, Hamed noted that executive programs focused on cooperation between the two countries in digital transformation, telecom infrastructure, and capacity-building are currently underway.
For his part, Gupte emphasized that the growing aspects of cooperation between Egypt and India in the ICT field present a significant opportunity for Indian companies to establish their presence in Egypt. He elaborated that Egypt and India are collaborating in manufacturing, with this MoU introducing a new dimension to bilateral cooperation, particularly in telecom equipment manufacturing. Gupte highlighted India’s high capabilities in telecom equipment manufacturing, noting that many countries choose to cooperate with India in this industry.
Nasr stated that Telecom Egypt strives to enhance its infrastructure and technical capabilities through collaboration with leading companies. He noted that the new MoU with Tejas marks a significant step towards this goal, fostering a long-term strategic partnership intended to integrate advanced technologies into Telecom Egypt’s operations, ultimately aiming to improve infrastructure services for its customers.
Elzaher expressed ITIDA enthusiasm with the signing of the MoU with partners from both public and private sectors. He highlighted that this collaboration will play a vital role in enhancing local manufacturing of telecom equipment. Elzaher further stated that ITIDA is committed to supporting Tejas in expediting local manufacturing operations, either through local partners or independently, providing necessary support and technical expertise, and training to qualify specialized personnel for R&D activities.
ITIDA is looking forward to building on this MoU and working with Tejas to establish ER&D centers and provide technical support to serve the company’s customers in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East, Elzaher highlighted.
For his part, Khattab underscored that the MoU empowers NTI to host Tejas Academy in Egypt, facilitating the training, qualification, and certification of Egyptian engineers and technicians in implementing, designing, and installing fiber optic and telecom networks, along with providing technical support. This effort aligns with the strategy of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) to enhance capacity and upskill Egyptian youth with cutting-edge technologies, ensuring alignment with the demands of the labor market.
Tejas will provide scientific materials to NTI and transfer expertise in agreed-upon areas to train NTI trainers in delivering programs at the Academy. There is also potential for establishing specialized labs at NTI to conduct practical training, Khattab added.
Athreya clarified that Tejas signed the MoU with Telecom Egypt and ITIDA as part of advancing the Digital Egypt vision by leveraging the company’s successful experience in designing and deploying over 500 networks in India and beyond. Tejas is dedicated to sharing expertise and acting as a technology partner for Telecom Egypt, Athreya noted, while also supporting local manufacturing of telecom equipment, R&D, and network planning, installation, and maintenance.
The signing ceremony was attended by Deputy ICT Minister for Infrastructure Raafat Hindy, Assistant ICT Minister for Strategy and Implementation Sherine El-Guindy, the Advisor to the ICT Minister for International Relations Affairs Khaled Taha, and officials from MCIT and Tejas.
It is worth noting that Tejas has successful experiences in implementing the BharatNet rural broadband project and establishing the National Knowledge Network (NKN).
The ICT Minister met with Tejas’ officials during his visits to India in January and August 2023 to explore opportunities for cooperation in telecom equipment manufacturing and digital capacity-building. Further discussions took place during a meeting held at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona, Spain, last month, with the participation of Telecom Egypt officials.
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