Mumbai, Oct. 8 -- The Prime Minister also highlighted the telecom revolution's impact, noting that the proliferation of 5G services has directly benefited citizens.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New Delhi on Thursday, declaring that India has moved from being a consumer to becoming a creator in the global technology landscape.

"Over the years, India has transformed from being a consumer to a creator. Now, the country is moving towards a stage where product design will also take place in India. The technology and intellectual property behind these products will also be Indian," Modi said. He added that the government is providing incentives and implementing reforms to accelerate this shift.

Modi highlighted the telecom revolution's impact, noting that the proliferation of 5G services has directly benefited citizens. He said government assistance now reaches beneficiaries directly through their bank accounts, with nearly Rs.50 trillion transferred via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Rs.5 trillion prevented from going to the wrong hands.

Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M Scindia underlined India's expanding telecom ecosystem, citing over 1.35 billion telecom subscribers and 1.09 billion broadband connections. He noted that average monthly data consumption has surged from 0.26 GB a decade ago to more than 36 GB today, while data costs have fallen by 97 per cent.

Scindia said telecom networks kept the country moving during the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as classrooms, clinics and marketplaces. He added that India's 5G rollout has set a global benchmark, reaching 550 million users across 99.9 per cent of districts. "Our aim now is clear: to connect 1 billion 5G users by 2030 and lead the next era of global digital innovation," he said.

IMC 2026, Asia's leading digital technology and telecommunications forum, is being held from October 7-10 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. Organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the event has attracted participation from over 100 countries, bringing together policymakers, global technology leaders, telecom operators, startups, investors and academia to shape the future of connectivity.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Infrastructure Today.