The objectives of National Telecom Policy 1999 drafted by the Department of Telecommunication (DOT), Government of India, resulted from the fast change in the overall scenario of the telecommunication industry of India. The 'Telecom Regulatory Authority of India' (TRAI) and 'Department of Telecommunication' (DOT) are the the two main governing bodies of the Indian telecommunication industry and they realized the need for an overall revamping of the Indian telecommunication policy of 1994, to compliment the rapid growth of this industry.

The department was established in the year 2007. The department offers 4-year B.E program (8 semesters) in Telecommunication Engineering which is affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and also approved by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The department currently has an intake of 60 students.

The new economic policy adopted by the Government aims at improving India's competitiveness in the global market and rapid growth of exports. Another element of the new economic policy is attracting foreign direct investment and stimulating domestic investment. Telecommunication services of world class quality are necessary for the success of this policy.

TRAI has been reconstituted through the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Act, 2000. The amendments were brought about to remove certain difficulties that had arisen. The desired objectives of bringing about functional clarity, strengthening the regulatory framework and the disputes settlement mechanism have been attained by bringing about a clear distinction between the regulatory and recommendatory functions of TRAI,

India is a major manufacturer of a wide range of telecom equipments. The total production of telecom equipments and cables in terms of value has increased from Rs.3985 crore in 1992-93 to Rs.8300 crore in 1996-97 which further increased to Rs.10760 crore during 1999-2000. It is expected that the production will register healthy growth during the year 2000-2001.