India Mobile Congress 2026: Key Highlights, Numbers and What They Mean for Marketers

India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 was the 10th edition of South Asia's biggest telecom and technology event, held from October 7 to 10, 2026 at Yashobhoomi (IICC) in Dwarka, New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on October 8 under the theme "Scale Without Boundaries." The event brought together 500+ exhibitors, 600+ startups and visitors from over 100 countries, with 6G, AI-era networks, semiconductors and cybersecurity at the center.

What is India Mobile Congress 2026?

India Mobile Congress is the annual flagship event of India's telecom and digital technology sector, organised by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The 2026 edition was its tenth, and its largest by planned scale.

According to the government's pre-event press release, organisers expected more than 1.5 lakh attendees, 500+ exhibitors and partners, 600+ startups, 900+ thought leaders and 300+ investors and incubators, with over 700 investor meetings planned.

What was the theme of IMC 2026?

The theme was Scale Without Boundaries, framing India's next phase of digital growth around connectivity, manufacturing and technology that reaches every citizen. The programme was organised around four pillars:

• Srishti: building the future through new technology.
• Samvardhan: fuelling growth and investment.
• Sashakt: expanding opportunity and inclusive digital access.
• Suraksha: strengthening trust and secure digital ecosystems.

Who inaugurated IMC 2026?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated IMC 2026 on Thursday, October 8, according to an ANI report via Devdiscourse. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia welcomed him and spoke at the session.

Scindia highlighted how far Indian connectivity has come: he said mobile data has fallen from about ₹268 per GB in 2014 to about ₹8 per GB today, and that the Bharat 6G Alliance, with 90 member institutions, has filed thousands of patents.

What were the key focus areas at IMC 2026?

IMC 2026 named nine anchor sectors:

1. 5G and 6G
2. Next-generation AI networks
3. Semiconductors
4. Non-terrestrial (satellite) networks
5. Cybersecurity
6. Quantum communication
7. Enterprise transformation
8. Circular economy and ESG
9. Electronics manufacturing

It also added four new domains: smart mobility, stadium experiences, industrial robotics and transport technology.

What were the biggest highlights of IMC 2026?

6G took centre stage

The event hosted the 3rd International 6G Symposium, and demonstrations covered terahertz communication, integrated sensing and communication, and 6G network concepts. India's ambition is to help write global 6G standards, not just adopt them.

AI became part of the network itself

"Next-generation AI networks" was an anchor sector in its own right. Sessions covered telecom stacks built for the AI era, an AI for Good track, an AI safety panel with the UK, and an ITU Build-A-Thon focused on AI agents for 5G networks.

India's connectivity numbers kept climbing

The government's release cited roughly 1.01 billion broadband subscribers, 5G coverage in 99.9% of districts reaching 85% of the population, and 4G in 98.7% of villages. India is also one of only five countries to have built its own 4G stack.

Startups and investors had a bigger stage

With 600+ startups, the Startup World Cup India 2026, a 5G Innovation Hackathon and hundreds of planned investor meetings, IMC 2026 doubled as one of India's largest deep-tech startup showcases.

What does IMC 2026 mean for marketers?

IMC is a telecom event, but three of its themes land squarely on marketing teams:

• A billion connected customers. Near-universal 4G and fast-spreading 5G mean the next wave of Indian consumers is mobile-first, video-first and increasingly outside metro cities. Campaigns built for English-speaking metro audiences will miss most of that growth.
• AI is moving into every layer. When networks, devices and apps all embed AI, more customer discovery happens through AI assistants and AI-generated answers. Brands need to know whether those answers mention them.
• Agents are the next interface. The focus on AI agents, from the ITU Build-A-Thon to enterprise sessions, points to software that plans and executes tasks, not just answers questions. Marketing operations are next in line.

We explore that last point in depth in our piece on AI agents in enterprise marketing after IMC 2026, and the consumer side in marketing to India's next billion digital users.

MarkGrid at IMC 2026

MarkGrid, the AI workforce for enterprise marketing, was among the companies exhibiting at Yashobhoomi. The team showcased an interactive grid powered by 650+ AI agents that plan, execute and measure marketing across channels from one platform. Read the full story of what MarkGrid showed at IMC 2026.

FAQ

When was India Mobile Congress 2026 held?

IMC 2026 ran from October 7 to October 10, 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on October 8.

Where was IMC 2026 held?

It was held at Yashobhoomi, the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), in Dwarka, New Delhi.

What was the theme of IMC 2026?

The theme was "Scale Without Boundaries," supported by four pillars: Srishti, Samvardhan, Sashakt and Suraksha.

Who organises India Mobile Congress?

IMC is organised by India's Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

How big was IMC 2026?

Organisers expected more than 1.5 lakh attendees from over 100 countries, 500+ exhibitors, 600+ startups, 900+ speakers, 2,000+ technology use cases and 120+ sessions.

Which edition of IMC was 2026?

IMC 2026 was the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress.

Last updated October 15, 2026.