IMC 2026: India Moving Towards End-to-End Telecom Value Chain, Shaping the Rules, Equipment and Innovation: Scindia
Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia highlights India's telecom progress, domestic manufacturing ambitions and the need to drive innovation, strengthen indigenous capabilities and shape the future of telecommunications.
Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Thursday said India was moving towards building an end-to-end telecom value chain, shaping the rules, equipment and innovation. Addressing a high-level CEO Round Table on The Sovereign Inflection & The Future of Telecom at the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, Scindia highlighted the country’s progress in telecommunications over the past decade and stressed the need for closer government-industry collaboration to strengthen India’s global competitiveness.
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AI, Advanced Networks and Digital Innovation Take Centre Stage at IMC 2026
The Round Table witnessed the participation of senior industry leaders from leading telecom service providers, network equipment manufacturers, technology companies, digital infrastructure firms and industry advisory organisations. Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, also participated in the deliberations, along with senior officials from the Department.
“The discussions reflected strong industry engagement and focused on advancing telecom infrastructure, fostering innovation, strengthening indigenous capabilities and supporting the next phase of India’s digital growth,” the Communications Ministry said in an official release on October 8, 2026. The release also highlighted that telecom and technology leaders explored new frontiers in AI, advanced networks and digital innovation.
According to the Ministry, the discussions centred on the rapidly evolving telecom value chain and the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, cloud and compute, advanced connectivity, intelligent networks and next-generation communication technologies. The participants also deliberated on strengthening domestic capabilities, fostering innovation, building resilient digital infrastructure and creating an enabling policy environment to support sustained investment and technological advancement.
Scindia said “I think we have been meeting quite regularly and therefore this is not an annual meeting for any of us. But having said that, what has come out very clearly in this year’s IMC is that we have achieved a lot in the last decade. Both in terms of coverage, penetration, affordability, inclusivity, innovation and really providing the foundational layer for a lot of application platforms to be innovated in our country. We are the second largest telecom market, we are the second largest mobile phone producer. Now end to end value chain is going to be produced in India thanks to the vision of our Prime Minister with 8-9 semiconductor fabs coming up in India. And therefore the fundamental inflection point today is going to be based on who writes the rules, who makes the equipment, who designs innovation, who builds the technology.”
Government-Industry Collaboration Key to Telecom Sector Growth
Emphasising a partnership-based approach, Scindia underlined the role of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as an enabler and facilitator in developing an ecosystem that allows all stakeholders to contribute to the sector’s growth. He highlighted the importance of collaboration across network equipment and optical fibre manufacturers, telecom service providers, internet service providers, application and platform developers, and emerging technology companies such as Artificial Intelligence.
The Minister emphasised that the collective strength of these interconnected segments would play an important role in determining the future competitiveness and resilience of India’s digital economy. Importance of moving beyond connectivity towards technologies and digital infrastructure that created wider economic and social value.
The Minister highlighted India’s expanding digital ecosystem and the growing role of telecommunications as an enabling foundation for digital public infrastructure, emerging technologies, innovation and economic growth.
The Round Table provided an opportunity for industry leaders to share their perspectives on sectoral developments, technology adoption, investment opportunities and policy and regulatory priorities required to support the next phase of telecom growth.
“The interaction reflected the Government’s continued commitment to maintaining an open and constructive dialogue with industry and ensuring that policy frameworks remained responsive to technological and market developments,” the Ministry said.
The deliberations reinforced the vision of “Scale Without Boundaries” by bringing the Government and industry together to shape a future-ready telecom ecosystem based on innovation, resilience, trusted infrastructure, indigenous capabilities and global competitiveness.
DoT Reaffirms Commitment to a Future-Ready Digital Ecosystem
The Department of Telecommunications reiterated its commitment to continued engagement with industry stakeholders, innovators and technology companies to develop a robust and inclusive digital communications ecosystem and strengthen India’s position as a global hub for telecom innovation and technology.
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