New Delhi: India has transitioned from being a “technology taker” to the “digital flag bearer of the world,” Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said ahead of the inauguration of the 9th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025.

“From being a technology taker and a technology follower, India today has become the digital flag bearer of the world. Our mobile data costs have fallen in the last 11 years by 98%. There was a time when a single minute of voice was a luxury, and access was an aspiration. But today India is home to twenty per cent of the world's mobile population, 1.2 billion subscribers. We have grown from sixty million internet broadband users in 2014 under the Prime Minister's vision to 944 million broadband subscribers,” Scindia said.

Highlighting India’s telecom achievements, he added, “Today our telecom revolution rests on four D's - Democracy, Demography, Digital First and Delivery. In 2014, one GB of data used to cost Rs 287. Today, that one GB of data costs only Rs 9.11. 99.9 % of our districts today are connected by 5G. We have 365 million subscribers and this warrants that scale today is on India's side. The trinity of JAM, DBT and UPI, India's DPI, has become a global benchmark for inclusion, for innovation, and it has turned services into rights and made governments instantaneous. Today, twenty countries worldwide are in active discussions to adopt India's DPI model...”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated IMC 2025. Organised jointly by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the event will run until 11th October under the theme “Innovate to Transform”, showcasing India’s commitment to digital transformation and innovation-led growth.

The four-day congress will feature the latest in telecom and emerging technologies, bringing together more than 1.5 lakh visitors from over 150 countries, over 7,000 global delegates, and 400 companies. Over 1,600 new use-cases in areas such as 5G/6G, AI, smart mobility, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and green technology will be presented through 100+ sessions and more than 800 speakers.

“The event will focus on key themes including Optical Communications, Semiconductors in Telecom, Quantum Communications, 6G, and Fraud Risk Indicators, reflecting India's strategic priorities in next-generation connectivity, digital sovereignty, cyber fraud prevention, and global technology leadership,” the PMO release said.