India Mobile Congress was launched in 2017 by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India as a platform to showcase India’s telecom and digital ambitions on a global stage. Over the years, it has grown from a mobile-and-telecom-focused trade show into what is now widely called Asia’s largest digital technology forum, covering everything from 5G rollouts and 6G research to artificial intelligence, satellite broadband, semiconductors and quantum computing.
Each edition brings together government leaders, telecom operators, global tech CEOs, startups, investors, researchers and students under one roof for four days of exhibitions, keynote sessions, product launches, policy discussions and B2B/B2G meetings.
IMC 2026 Theme: “Scale Without Boundaries”
Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia officially unveiled the theme for the 10th edition, “Scale Without Boundaries,” reflecting India’s ambition to take its home-grown telecom technologies, standards and digital solutions beyond national borders. The theme captures the shift in India’s positioning: from being primarily a consumer market for technology to becoming a country that designs, builds and exports digital solutions to the world, in line with the “Vocal for Local to Local for Global” vision and the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 goal.
The Four Pillars of IMC 2026
IMC 2026 is structured around four thematic pillars, each addressing a different dimension of India’s digital transformation:
| Pillar | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Srishti (Building the Future) | Innovation, emerging technologies, R&D, and indigenous tech development |
| Suraksha (Strengthening Trust) | Cybersecurity, digital resilience, and trusted and secure digital ecosystems |
| Sashakt (Expanding Opportunities) | Inclusive growth, digital access, and empowering underserved communities |
| Samvardhan (Fueling Growth) | Investment, entrepreneurship, employment generation, and global leadership |
These pillars aren’t just marketing language; they shape the conference tracks, exhibition zones and panel discussions across all four days.
Venue: Yashobhoomi, New Delhi
IMC 2026 will be hosted at Yashobhoomi, officially known as the India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICC), located in Dwarka Sector 25, New Delhi. This is one of Asia’s largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) venues, and it has hosted IMC since 2023, replacing the earlier Pragati Maidan venue that hosted the first several editions of the event.
Key reasons Yashobhoomi is well suited for an event of this scale:
- Massive exhibition halls capable of housing 800+ exhibitor stalls
- Multiple auditoriums for parallel keynote and panel sessions
- Excellent connectivity via the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line and proximity to Indira Gandhi International Airport
- Modern convention infrastructure designed for large international summits
Address: Yashobhoomi, India International Convention & Expo Centre, Sector 25, Dwarka, New Delhi, Delhi 110077
IMC 2026 Dates and Schedule
The 10th edition of India Mobile Congress will run for four days, from October 7 to October 10, 2026. While the detailed hour-by-hour agenda is released closer to the event on the official website, the broad structure typically follows this pattern:
| Day | Typical Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 (Oct 7) | Inaugural ceremony, keynote addresses by government and industry leaders, theme launch sessions |
| Day 2 (Oct 8) | Technology deep-dives: 5G/6G, AI, satellite communication, semiconductor tracks |
| Day 3 (Oct 9) | Startup showcases, investor meets, policy roundtables, international delegations |
| Day 4 (Oct 10) | Awards ceremony, closing sessions, exhibition wrap-up, B2B meetings |
All session timings are announced in IST (Indian Standard Time), and the schedule is subject to change, so it’s worth checking the official IMC website closer to the event for the finalised agenda.
Who’s Speaking at IMC 2026: Key Speakers List
IMC 2026 features one of the largest speaker rosters of any tech event in Asia, spanning government officials, telecom operator CEOs, global technology executives, standards bodies, academics and startup founders. Here are some of the confirmed and headline names associated with the event:
Government & Policy Leaders
| Name | Designation |
|---|---|
| Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia | Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region |
| Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani | Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development |
| Shri Amit Agrawal | Secretary (Telecom), Department of Telecommunications, Government of India |
Industry Titans
| Name | Organisation & Role |
|---|---|
| Mr. Akash Ambani | Chairman, Reliance Jio |
| Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal | Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises |
| Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla | Chairman, Aditya Birla Group |
| Gopal Vittal | MD & CEO, Bharti Airtel |
| Akshaya Moondra | CEO, Vodafone Idea |
Global Technology & Standards Leaders
| Name | Organisation & Role |
|---|---|
| Cristiano R. Amon | President and CEO, Qualcomm |
| Erik Ekudden | Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson |
| Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar | Director General, COAI |
| Mats Granryd | Director General, GSMA |
| Hiroshi Mikitani | Founder, Chairman & CEO, Rakuten Group |
Institutional & Research Voices
The lineup also includes senior representatives from ITU (International Telecommunication Union), GSMA, TRAI, C-DOT, ISRO, IIT professors from Delhi, Madras, Bombay and Kanpur, and executives from Nokia, AWS, Microsoft, AMD, Intel, MediaTek, Cisco, Red Hat, TCS, and dozens of Indian startups. Past editions have hosted over 900 speakers across 100+ knowledge sessions, and IMC 2026 is expected to match or exceed that scale.
(Note: The final confirmed speaker list is updated regularly by organisers on the official IMC speakers page as the event date approaches.)
Focus Technologies and Topics at IMC 2026
Building on the four pillars, IMC 2026’s conference tracks and exhibition zones are expected to spotlight:
- 5G and 6G Networks: commercial 5G scale-up and early 6G standards research
- Artificial Intelligence: enterprise AI, AI-driven fraud detection, sovereign AI models like BharatGPT and BharatGen
- Satellite Communication: direct-to-device connectivity, low-earth-orbit broadband
- Semiconductors: indigenous chip design and India’s growing electronics manufacturing ecosystem
- Cloud and Edge Computing: enterprise infrastructure and network virtualization
- Quantum Technologies: quantum communication and quantum-safe encryption
- Green Technologies: sustainable and energy-efficient telecom infrastructure
- Cybersecurity: digital trust, fraud prevention, and secure digital public infrastructure
IMC 2025 vs IMC 2026: What’s Changed?
One of the most useful ways to understand IMC 2026 is to compare it against last year’s 9th edition, which was held at the same venue and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside the ITU-WTSA 2025 assembly.
| Parameter | IMC 2025 (9th Edition) | IMC 2026 (10th Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Theme | Held jointly with ITU-WTSA 2025; focus on global digital governance and ethical AI | "Scale Without Boundaries": India exporting tech globally |
| Visitors | Over 1.4 lakh visitors | Expected 1.5 lakh+ visitors |
| Exhibitors | 860 exhibitors | Expected to cross 900+ exhibitors |
| Countries Represented | 101 countries | Expected wider global participation |
| Startups Showcased | 465 startups | Larger startup pavilion expected |
| Speakers | 918 speakers across 113 sessions | Comparable or larger speaker roster |
| Key Discussion Topics | Financial fraud prevention, quantum communication, 6G, optical communication, semiconductors, global digital governance framework | 5G/6G scale-up, AI, satellite comms, semiconductors, quantum tech, green tech, cross-border tech scaling |
| Signature Moment | PM Modi's call for a global ethical-AI framework alongside ITU-WTSA | Launch of India's "Local for Global" tech export narrative |
| Special Recognitions | ITU-WTSA milestone hosting | Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Excellence Awards 2025 announced ahead of the main event |
In short: IMC 2025 was about India strengthening its domestic telecom achievements and pushing for global digital rules; IMC 2026 shifts the narrative toward India actively scaling its own technologies, from 6G standards to digital public infrastructure, into international markets. The event has also grown incrementally in scale, following its consistent year-on-year trend of higher visitor numbers, exhibitor counts and speaker participation since its 2017 launch.
What to Expect: Exhibitions, Startups & Awards
- Exhibition Halls: Telecom operators (Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea, BSNL), global vendors (Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung, Qualcomm, Cisco) and hardware manufacturers will showcase live 5G/6G demos, AI use cases and satellite communication prototypes.
- Startup Zone: Hundreds of startups working on fintech, AI, IoT, and deep tech will get a platform to pitch to investors and enterprise buyers.
- Viksit Tech 47 & Innovation Awards: IMC continues to run its innovation recognition programs, including awards for indigenous technology development.
- B2B and B2G Meeting Rooms: Dedicated meeting spaces allow companies to hold private business discussions during the event, a feature increasingly popular with international delegations.
- Knowledge Sessions: Panel discussions, fireside chats and keynote addresses running in parallel across multiple auditoriums throughout the four days.
Why India Mobile Congress Matters for India’s Digital Economy
India is among the fastest 5G-adopting nations in the world, and the government has set an ambitious target of reaching one billion 5G users by 2030. IMC serves as the annual checkpoint for this journey, a place where policy announcements, technology demonstrations and investment deals converge. It strengthens India’s startup ecosystem, promotes indigenous technology (from C-DOT’s telecom equipment to homegrown AI models), and positions India as a manufacturing and innovation hub for semiconductors and telecom equipment, not just a consumption market.
For students and job seekers, IMC is also an important networking and career-exploration event, with several sessions dedicated to skilling, telecom career pathways and India’s digital public infrastructure story.
How to Attend India Mobile Congress 2026
- Register online at the official website indiamobilecongress.com. Passes typically include visitor, delegate and exhibitor categories.
- Book a meeting room in advance if you’re attending for business discussions, as these fill up quickly closer to the event.
- Plan your visit using the official “Plan Your Visit” resource for travel, accommodation and local transport near Yashobhoomi, Dwarka.
- Check the schedule regularly, since session timings and speaker line-ups are updated on a rolling basis before the event.
- Follow official social media channels for real-time updates, especially in the final weeks before October 7.
Frequently Asked Questions
MC 2026 will be held from 7 to 10 October 2026.
The event will be held at Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre), Sector 25, Dwarka, New Delhi.
The theme is “Scale Without Boundaries,” reflecting India’s ambition to take its telecom and digital technologies to global markets.
IMC is jointly organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
IMC 2026 marks the 10th edition of the event, which was first launched in 2017.
Confirmed and expected speakers include Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Akash Ambani (Reliance Jio), Sunil Bharti Mittal (Bharti Enterprises), Kumar Mangalam Birla (Aditya Birla Group), Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm), along with senior leaders from Ericsson, Nokia, GSMA, ITU, TRAI, ISRO and dozens of global and Indian companies.
IMC 2025 was held jointly with the ITU-WTSA assembly and focused heavily on global digital governance and ethical AI frameworks. IMC 2026 shifts focus toward scaling India’s indigenous technologies internationally, under the “Scale Without Boundaries” theme, with an expected increase in visitors, exhibitors and startup participation.
Yes, IMC offers different pass categories including general visitor passes, delegate passes and exhibitor passes, all available through online registration.