India Mobile Congress 2026: Where 6G, AI and 1.5 Lakh Attendees Meet Under One Roof
India’s biggest telecom and tech event of the year just kicked off, and the scale alone tells you how central AI has become to how the country builds its digital infrastructure.
The 10th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) opened October 7 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, and runs through October 10 under the theme “Scale Without Boundaries.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurates it October 8.
Here’s what’s actually on the agenda:
→ Expected turnout: over 1.5 lakh (150,000) attendees, 500 exhibitors, 600 startups, and 900 thought leaders — jointly organized by the Department of Telecommunications and COAI
→ 6G gets its own dedicated track — the 3rd International Bharat 6G Symposium is tackling global IMT-2030 standards and spectrum planning ahead of WRC-27
→ AI runs through nearly every session: AI-native telecom networks, intelligent RAN, autonomous networks, AI infrastructure economics, and an ITU “Build-A-Thon” specifically for AI agents on 5G networks
→ A dedicated India-UK AI Safety panel examines responsible AI and governance — not just deployment speed
→ The broader “Suraksha” cybersecurity track covers fraud prevention, consumer protection, critical infrastructure security, data privacy, and Zero Trust architecture
→ On-floor demonstrations include AI-native pre-6G networks, satellite communication, sovereign cloud infrastructure, and terahertz communication
→ It comes alongside a World Bank report placing India among the top 10 emerging markets globally for AI readiness
What stands out here is the framing: AI and telecom aren’t being treated as two separate tracks anymore — they’re explicitly examined both ways. How telecom networks need to evolve to carry AI workloads, and how AI itself can make networks smarter, more automated, and more resilient. That’s a meaningful shift from a few years ago, when “digital India” conversations were mostly about coverage and speed.
A dedicated AI Safety panel sitting alongside 6G spectrum planning also says something about where the policy conversation is heading — infrastructure and governance are no longer separate agendas.
Do you think India’s telecom buildout is keeping pace with how fast AI workloads are scaling, or is the infrastructure still playing catch-up?
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