Narendra Modi inaugurated the 7th Edition of the India Mobile Congress 2023 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday (October 28, 2023), an event which aims to strengthen India’s position as a developer, manufacturer, and exporter of key cutting-edge technologies.

India Mobile Congress (IMC) is the largest telecom, media, and technology forum in Asia to be held from 27th to 29th October 2023 with the theme ‘Global Digital Innovation’.

During the program, the Prime Minister awarded 100 ‘5G Use Case Labs’ to educational institutions across the country.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that in the changing times of the 21st century, this event has the power to change the lives of crores of people.

Underling the fast pace of technology, the Prime Minister said, “The future is here and now.”

He praised the exhibition placed for the occasion to provide glimpses of the future in telecom, technology and connectivity.

He mentioned the fields of 6G, AI, cyber security, semiconductors, drone or space sectors, deep sea, green tech or any other sectors and said, “The future is going to be entirely different and it is a matter of happiness that our young generation is leading the tech revolution."

Modi recalled that the 5G rollout which took place last year in India came as a surprise for the rest of the world.

He emphasized that India did not halt after the success of 5G and took on the work of taking it to every individual.

“India moved from the 5G rollout stage to 5G reach out stage,” he said.

Within one year of 5G rollout, the Prime Minister informed about the development of 4 lakh 5G base stations which cover more than 97 percent of the cities and 80 percent of the population.

He underlined that the speed of median mobile broadband speeds have increased 3 times within one year.

He further added that India moved from the 118th position to the 43rd position in terms of broadband speed.

“India is not only expanding the 5G network in the country but also laying emphasis on becoming a leader in 6G,” he said.

Pointing out the scam that took place during 2G, the Prime Minister said that the 4G rollout which happened during the present government’s tenure is free from blemishes.

He also expressed confidence that India will take the lead with 6G technology.

He said, beyond ranking and number improvement in internet connectivity and speed lead to enhanced ease of living.

He narrated the benefits of improved connectivity and speed in education, medicine, tourism, and agriculture.

Prime Minister Modi drew attention to the important aspect of cybersecurity and the safety of network infrastructure and recalled the discussion on ‘Global Threats of Cyber Security’ at the G20 Summit.

Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, Akash M Ambani hailed the Prime Minister’s commitment to improving the lives of younger generations by inculcating the use of the latest technologies thereby powering India’s Digital public infrastructure.

He highlighted that the Prime Minister is an inspiration for millions of youngsters in the country in making the Digital India program inclusive, innovative and sustainable.

He informed that Jio has installed over 10 lakh 5G cells across all 22 circuits of India, making an 85 percent contribution to the overall 5G distribution where the rollout of the 5G stack is designed, developed and manufactured by Indian talent. “India ranks among the top 3 5 G-enabled nations with a user base of 125 million.

He underlined that the Prime Minister has unified the entire nation and gave examples of GST, India’s Digital Revolution and the tallest statue built in the world.

“Your efforts motivate all of us at the India Mobile Conference,” he reiterated.

On behalf of all digital entrepreneurs, innovators and startups, Ambani assured to realize India’s dream during India’s Amrit Kaal.

Chairman Bharti Enterprises, Sunil Bharti Mittal recalled the vision given by the Prime Minister in the form of Digital India which led to the development of digital infrastructure at a feverish pace. 

He underlined the transformation brought about by the JAM trinity vision of the Prime Minister and how the world has taken note of India’s digital transformation. 

He said the Digital Public Infrastructure  (DPI) of India is the envy of many countries. 

Second key pillar of the Prime Minister's vision according to Mittal, is Make in India, and noted the strides made in manufacturing in the last one year itself.

“India has grown very deep roots in manufacturing. Companies like Apple to Dixon, Samsung to Tatas, every company, small, big or startup are involved in manufacturing and India has emerged as a manufacturing nation, especially for digital infrastructure at a huge scale of a world leader,” he said.

He informed that in 5000 towns and 20,000 villages Airtel 5G rollout has already taken place and informed that by March 2024 they would cover the entire country and touched upon the call made by the Prime Minister to this effect.

"This will be truly the fastest 5G rollout anywhere in the world," he said.

Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla thanked the Prime Minister for his visionary leadership in driving India’s Digital transformation and lauded his commitment towards digital inclusion which is rooted in the principle of ‘Antyodaya’ where benefits are ensured for everyone. 

He credited this approach for India’s growth in the digital evolution which has gained global recognition. 

“India has emerged as a champion of the Global South inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision,” Birla said as he underlined that many countries are eager to adopt India’s pathbreaking public infrastructure assets across identity, payments and data management. 

He reiterated that Vodafone Idea is committed to being a responsible partner in achieving the vision of the Prime Minister. 

He mentioned that India is actively engaging with the development of standards for futuristic technologies in areas like 6G under the guidance of the Prime Minister.