PM Modi Inaugurates 10th Edition of India Mobile Congress
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opens the 10th India Mobile Congress, showcasing India's massive leap in data affordability and 6G technological prowess.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) at Yashobhoomi in the national capital on Thursday. The event, a massive gathering of global tech leaders and innovators, marks a significant milestone in India's journey toward becoming a global technological powerhouse.
Upon his arrival at the venue, the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed and felicitated by the Union Minister for Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia. The summit serves as a premier platform to demonstrate the nation's rapidly evolving digital capabilities and its vision for a hyper-connected future.
A Decade of Digital Transformation
During the inaugural session, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia highlighted the dramatic shift in India's digital landscape under the Prime Minister's leadership. He emphasized the vision of ensuring that technology permeates every village and reaches every single citizen across the country.
Scindia provided striking comparisons to illustrate the scale of change achieved over the last decade:
- Data Costs: In 2014, the cost of 1 GB of data was approximately 268 rupees. Today, it has plummeted to just 8 rupees, making India's data capability among the cheapest in the world.
- Data Usage: The average monthly data usage per customer has seen a massive surge. From a mere 0.26 MB in 2014, usage has grown exponentially to 36 GB per individual across the nation.
"Every drop in cost, every increase in usage has expanded that canvas in which every single Indian can connect, can create, and can innovate," Scindia remarked.
The Rise of Bharat 6G and Global Patents
The summit is set to showcase the depth of India's technological ecosystem, ranging from artificial intelligence leadership to sovereign clouds and life-saving cell broadcasts. A major highlight is the Bharat 6G Alliance, which has emerged as a central pillar of the nation's vision for next-generation connectivity.
The Minister proudly shared that the Bharat 6G Alliance, involving 90 institutions and various global collaborations, has already established 7,700 patents, including an impressive 4,400 international patents. This underscores India's transition from a consumer of technology to a global leader in innovation.
The Four Pillars of IMC 2026
The upcoming roadmap for the India Mobile Congress is built upon four strategic pillars designed to drive the digital economy:
- Srishti: Building the Future
- Samvardhan: Fueling Growth
- Sashakt: Expanding Opportunities
- Suraksha: Strengthening Trust
The event will focus on creating a secure, resilient, and inclusive digital ecosystem through next-generation infrastructure and technology-led economic growth.
Global Scale and Expanding Horizons
The scale of the event is unprecedented, expected to draw over 1.5 lakh attendees from more than 100 countries. The summit will feature over 500 partners and exhibitors, 600 startups, and 900 thought leaders, providing a stage for more than 2,000 technology use cases.
While maintaining focus on established sectors like 5G, 6G, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and quantum communication, the event is also expanding into four new critical domains:
- Smart mobility
- Stadium experiences
- Industrial robotics
- Transport technology