Highlights of 9th India Mobile Congress Held in New Delhi, Delhi

The 9th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC 2025), Asia’s largest telecom, median and technology event, was held, with the theme “Innovate to Transform” , from October 08 to 11, 2025 at the Yashobhoomi India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICC) in New Delhi, Delhi.

About IMC 2025:

Inaugurated by: The conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, who highlighted India’s telecom growth, noting a 6-fold rise in electronics production and a 28-fold increase in mobile manufacturing since 2014.

Organised by: The 4-day long conference was organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications, in partnership with the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

Key Themes: The conference was focused on key themes such as: optical communications; semiconductors in telecom, quantum communications, 6G (6th Generation), and fraud risk indicators.

Key Participants: IMC 2025 featured delegations from Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), Russia, Ireland, and Austria, attracted over 1.5 lakh visitors from 150+ countries, showcased 400+ exhibitors, and included 800+ speakers across 100 conference sessions.

Key Highlights of IMC 2025:

International Bharat6G Symposium 2025:

Inaugurated by: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ministry of Communications and Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of Department of Telecommunications(DoT) inaugurated the 2nd International Bharat6G Symposium 2025, held from October 09 to 10, 2025 at IMC 2025 in New Delhi,

MoUs: In the symposium, Bharat 6G Alliance signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and European Space Agency (ESA),aimed to foster joint participation in the field of technology.

Release of 4 Whitepapers: Bharat 6G Alliance had also released 4 whitepapers titled ‘Spectrum Roadmap for 6G in India’, and ‘Powering Next-Gen Telecom’, ‘AI and Network evolution to 5G’, ‘6G Architecture, Security and Exposure Framework for RF Sensing’.

Joint Statement: Various international research alliances including Bharat 6G, 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA), Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions(ATIS’s) Next G Alliance, XGMF(Extreme Gigabit Mobile Forum), 6G Forum, 6G Brazil, UKI-FNI(UK Innovation – Future Networks Initiative), UK TIN(UK Telecom Innovation Network), UK Federated Telecom Hubs (CHEDDAR, HASC, JOINER & TITAN), issued a joint statement endorsing principles for 6G design.

• This newly endorsed joint statement ensures that the next generation of connectivity is trusted and secure; resilient and reliable; open and interoperable; inclusive and affordable; sustainable and globally connected.

23rd Edition of Bharat Telecom 2025:

Inaugurated by: Union Minister of State (Mos) Dr. Pemmasani, Ministry of Communications, inaugurated the 23rd edition of Bharat Telecom 2025, a global buyer-seller meet, which was held alongside the IMC 2025 in New Delhi, Delhi.

Hosted by: Bharat Telecom 2025 was hosted by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) which works under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) of the GoI.

Key Participants: The event featured more than 70 delegates from over 30 countries, where more than 60 Indian telecom companies demonstrated their state-of-the-art products and capabilities at the Atmanirbhar Bharat Pavilion set up by TEPC.

First SATCOM Summit:

Inaugurated: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ministry of Communications, inaugurated India’s 1st-ever Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Summit, themed ‘Space Networks for Universal Connectivity’ at IMC 2025.

Key Dignitaries: The event brought together various stakeholders from telecom and space sectors in India, including Union Minister of State (MoS) Dr. Jitendra Singh (Space); Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO); and Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation (IN-SPACe).

Fastest Rollout of 5G Services: While addressing the event, Union Minister Scindia highlighted India’s rapid digital transformation, connecting 99.9% of the country’s population through 4.8 lakh 5G towers in just 20 months, which is the fastest rollout of 5G services in the world.

Connections under USOF and DBN: He further mentioned that under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), the Government of India (GoI) has the set target to connect over 38,000 remote villages across difficult terrains with a total investment of Rs 40,000 crore, of which approximately 29,000 villages (about 75%) have already been connected.

Key Policy Reforms: He also outlined major policy reforms including, the administrative allocation of satellite spectrum in line with global best practices and the sanctioning of Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licenses to OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications.

Indian SATCOM Outlook: During the event, he projected that India’s SATCOM market will grow from USD 4.3 billion (2024) to USD 14.8 billion (2033) and announced a Rs 900 crore National SATCOM Monitoring Facility to safeguard spectrum assets and enhance satellite gateway security.

International AI Summit:

Event: The International AI Summit organized on the sidelines of IMC 2025, focused on the transformative role of AI in telecommunications and ICT services.

Showcase: Over 1,600 AI use cases were displayed across sectors, highlighting India’s leadership in next-gen technologies.

Framework: Minister of State(MoS) Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Rural Development(MoRD), outlined a five-point AI governance framework: Combat Bias, Protect Jobs, Safeguard Privacy, Ensure Transparency and Lead with Ethics.

Cybersecurity Summit:

Event: The Cyber Security Summit at IMC 2025 addressed the critical challenges of protecting digital infrastructure in India’s rapidly expanding telecom sector.

Focus: Key topics included security operations, application and cloud security, AI-driven security solutions, and network security.

Other Events:

OpenAI API Hackathon:It was a key event at the 9th IMC, engaged developers nationwide in creating innovative applications using OpenAI’s Application Programming Interface(API).

IMC Aspire Competition 2025: Held during the 9th IMC, the event provided a platform for 500+ Indian startups in deep tech, telecom, and digital sectors to engage with 300+ investors and industry leaders through pitches, networking, and collaboration over three days.

IMC 2025 Awards:

Aim: The awards, presented across 15 categories, recognize industry leaders, innovators, and emerging enterprises driving the future of digital connectivity.

Participation: This year, a total of 157 entries were submitted from leading telecom players, startups, and research organisations.

List of Winners:

‘Digital Communication Theme’ for ESTIC-2025:

Launched by: On the sidelines of IMC 2025, DoT launched the ‘Digital Communication Theme’ for Emerging Science Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC 2025) which is scheduled to be held from November 03 to 05, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

• The launch event also marked the 1st session of the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA), consolidating India’s position as hub of next-generation telecom innovation.

Key Dignitaries: The launch of theme was presided over by Professor Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the GoI; and Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Chairman of the Digital Communications Commission and Secretary (Telecommunications).

Robotics for Good Youth Challenge India 2025:

Overview: The Robotics for Good Youth Challenge, flagship initiative of International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Good programme.

Aim: To nurture the next generation of innovators to use robotics and AI for promoting the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Co-hosted by: The challenge was co-hosted by DoT and ITU in collaboration with I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC) and Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) of IIT Delhi (IIT-D).

Participation: Students aged 10 to 18 years were invited to participate at the competition, to develop AI and robotics-based solutions to tackle global issues in critical area like agriculture and food security.

• The event brought together 271 participants from 55 teams across India.

Winners: The competition was organised into two different categories i.e. ‘Junior’ and ‘Senior’. For each category, awards were presented for 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions.

• For Junior Category: Team Heyansh, Playto Labs, Bengaluru (Karnataka) was selected winner for this category as well as for Most Innovative & Original Robot.
• For Senior Category: The Ambitious Avengers, Sant Atulanand Convent School (Koirajpur, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, UP) was declared winner for the 2nd consecutive year. Aarav, Playto Labs (Bengaluru) won the’ Most Innovative & Creative Robot’ award in this category.

Global Grand Finale: Also, the winners of junior category and senior category will now carry India’s flag to the Grand Finale which is scheduled to be held from July 07 to July 10, 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland during the AI for Good Global Summit 2026.

Demonstration of Latest Technologies at IMC 2025:

Reliance Jio: At IMC 2025, Reliance Jio launched ‘JioBharat Safety Net Phones’ with safety-first features for children, elderly, and dependents, including location monitoring, usage manager, phone/service health, and up to 7 days battery backup, priced from Rs 799.

• Reliance Jio also launched the AI Classroom, developed with Jio Institute and powered by JioPC, offering a free 4-week online course that introduces beginners to the basics of AI.

Tejas Networks: The company demonstrated its Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology, an indigenously developed deep-tech stack ready for deployment.

• Tejas Networks also launched its indigenously developed 64T64R Massive MIMO((Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) Radio (Ojas64), enhancing 5G infrastructure capabilities.

MediaTek: At IMC 2025, MediaTek launched its Dimensity 9500 flagship chipset which is designed specifically for next-generation 5G smartphones with enhanced AI, gaming and power efficiency.

• It has announced its partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) to make a new flagship chip using the advanced N2P process, with manufacturing expected by the end of 2026.

Ericsson: The company demonstrated the 5-G enabled Grain Automated Teller Machine (ATM), ‘Annapurti,’ developed in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP).

• The machine which supports the One Nation One Ration Card Scheme, uses Aadhaar biometrics for quick dispensation of up to 30 kilogram (kg) of food grains.
• Currently, these machines are deployed in cities like: Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, UP) and Shillong (Meghalaya).

Samsung – AI for All: Showcased across five demo zones, highlighting AI tools for productivity, smart cities, connected living, and inclusive learning.

Other Key Events:

Startup World Cup India Edition: Bengaluru’s Astrome Technologies, deep-tech venture company founded by Dr. Neha Satak and Dr. Prasad HL Bhat, declared winner at the inaugural Startup World Cup India.

• The winner will represent India at the global finale to compete for USD 1 million grand prize in San Francisco, the United States of America (USA).

GSMA Open Gateway Hackathon-India: The hackathon titled ‘India Connected-APIs for a Billion Lives’ was jointly organised by Nokia and Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) to drive the development of network Application Programming Interface (API)-based services and next-gen innovations using advanced network capabilities.

• The idea named ‘PinPoint’ by Rohit Vijayan team from Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN) emerged winner at the hackathon.

Telecom Sector Growth: The government announced its plans to install 100,000 telecom towers to boost connectivity and expand digital infrastructure, with the telecom sector’s (TS) contribution to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) projected to rise from 14% to 20% by 2037.

Conclusion of IMC 2025: The closing day of IMC 2025 featured adiverse range of exchanges on spectrum strategy, open network development, and 6G readiness.

About Ministry of Communications:
Union Minister- Jyotiraditaya M. Scindia (Constituency- Guna, Madhya Pradesh, MP)
Minister of State (MoS) – Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (Constituency- Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, AP)