India Mobile Congress Opens in Delhi Today, With 6G and AI Front and Centre

Delhi's Yashobhoomi convention centre is hosting the biggest annual gathering of India's telecom and technology industry from today.

The tenth edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) runs from October 7 to 10 at the India International Convention and Expo Centre in Dwarka. The show is organised by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India, with expanded partnership from the GSMA. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. IST today, and the event wraps up on Saturday evening.

This year's theme is "Scale Without Boundaries." Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia unveiled it ahead of the show. It points to a shift from pilot projects to deployment at scale, and to building digital systems that work across borders and stay secure and inclusive. The agenda covers 5G and 6G, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, cybersecurity and satellite communications.

At the launch, Scindia pointed to India's mobile reach and the sharp fall in data costs as the base of its digital growth. He also said India wants a bigger role in shaping global 6G standards, citing the Bharat 6G Alliance and the government's production-linked incentive scheme for telecom manufacturing. Curbing spam and fraud on networks is another stated priority.

Organisers expect more than 150,000 attendees and over 300 exhibitors from more than 100 countries. For a sense of where the home market stands, a government reply reported in July put India's 5G base stations at 562,971 as of June 30, 2026. That is up from about 140,000 in March 2023, and 5G now covers 99.9 per cent of districts.

Big announcements on spectrum, 6G research and satellite tie-ups often come out of IMC over its four days, and these tend to shape the sector for months afterward. We'll follow the key announcements as they land.

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