New Delhi, Jan. 31 -- Ahead of the upcoming Union Budget, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has called for a significant overhaul of the financial framework governing the telecom industry. Lt Gen (retd) Dr SP Kochhar, Director General of COAI, emphasised that the sector should be viewed not as a standalone industry but as the backbone of the entire economy.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the 2026-27 Union Budget on February 1.

Kochhar noted that the government's own vision aligns with this, stating, "In the words of our Minister, our telecom has become a value added horizontal sector that give value to all other sectors."

He stressed that maintaining the health of this infrastructure is a c...