On July 31, 1995, the then Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu made the first-ever mobile phone call to the then Union telecom minister Sukh Ram to inaugurate mobile telephony services in India.

Thirty years later, to relive the launch of mobile telephony, Kailash Lakhyani, the founder-chairman of the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA), made a video call to Delhi and spoke to Praveen Khandelwal, a BJP MP, during a similar programme held in the national capital, where Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was also present.

AIMRA chose Calcutta to celebrate the 30-year journey of mobile phones — a path that began with a simple voice call and has evolved into a device that now puts the world at our fingertips.

“The mere voice call through a Nokia phone started the journey of mobile communications. Today, it has evolved into a revolution driven by the internet. We relived history through this video call. Now, we are waiting for another revolution — the mobile phones and artificial intelligence,” said Lakhyani.

At the celebration venue — a private hotel in Sector V — the same mobile phone used by Basu to speak with Ram was displayed along with their photographs. The Association also organised an exhibition showcasing various models of mobile phones that have become obsolete.

Members of the association from several states — including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar — joined the daylong celebration of mobile telephony’s evolution, with its Bengal chapter as the host.

The association officially launched a commemorative postal stamp in the presence of the chief postmaster general of Bengal, Ashok Kumar.

In his speech, Kumar praised the mobile phone revolution and its transformative utility but cautioned that it is a disruptive technology and should be used for the betterment of society.

He highlighted how the postal department has continued to expand its services across the country, even amid the rise of mobile phone technology.

Members of the association claimed that the mobile phone industry has become one of the fastest-growing industries.

They said that during the festive season last year in Bengal, people bought mobile phones worth ₹1,400 crore, which is double the figure from two years ago.

“Now the gadgets are costlier, which is why the business is generating more revenue despite lower sales volume compared to the earlier era of basic phones. A large market for used mobile phones has also emerged across the country,” said a functionary.