Originally published 7 October 2026 | Last updated: 11 October 2026, after the event ended.
India Mobile Congress 2026 ran from 7 to 10 October at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. It was the 10th edition of what the organisers call Asia’s largest digital technology forum. Most coverage focuses on exhibitors and speeches. Here I cover what ordinary phone and broadband users can take from it, and I test one big claim on my own phone: does the 5G we already have work inside our homes?
Table of Contents
IMC 2026 at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Dates | 7 to 10 October 2026 (event has ended) |
| Venue | Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi |
| Theme | Scale Without Boundaries |
| Organisers | Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and COAI |
| Global industry partner | GSMA |
Before the event, the government said it expected participants from more than 100 countries, over 2,000 technology use cases and 120+ sessions. I could not find a confirmed final turnout figure, so I am not quoting attendance numbers.
What does “Scale Without Boundaries” mean?
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the theme is about taking India’s telecom innovations beyond its borders. His message is that India should export home-grown technology and help shape global standards, not only use them. At the closing, the organisers repeated this framing, and Scindia said India aims to originate 10% of global 6G patents.
The four tracks
The official site groups the event into four themes:
- Srishti: 6G, AI-native networks, quantum communication, semiconductors.
- Samvardhan: satellite and direct-to-device connectivity, network APIs, gadgets and devices, telecom manufacturing.
- Sashakt: green telecom, e-waste, sustainable infrastructure.
- Suraksha: cybersecurity, spam and fraud, consumer protection, spectrum policy.
Dedicated sessions included the International Bharat 6G Symposium, Satcom Summit, Cybersecurity Summit and Quantum Summit.
What mattered to regular users
1. Airtel postpaid got costlier, with free roaming. Airtel announced on 7 October that its postpaid plans cost ₹50 more per month from 8 October. The range now starts at ₹499 for one SIM (earlier ₹449) and goes up to ₹1,799 for a five-SIM family plan. In return, every SIM gets one free international roaming trip a year: 5GB data, 60 minutes of calls and 25 outgoing SMS, valid for five days. The extra ₹50 comes to ₹600 a year, so this only pays off if you travel abroad. This was announced around the event, not on its stage.
2. BSNL’s Vaani upgrade. On 8 October BSNL announced four initiatives: a Vaani chatbot upgrade with local network status and voice complaints, AI-based security for its network core with Saptang Labs, a government messaging platform called Bharat Sandesh, and an expression of intent with Fujitsu to explore an all-photonics fibre network. These are plans, and I found no launch dates or city list for any of them. If you use BSNL, as I did in my test below, Vaani is the one to watch.
3. Satellite internet is still waiting. Starlink, Jio Satcom and Eutelsat OneWeb have licences, but commercial service still depends on spectrum allocation and security compliance. Scindia said the pricing framework for satellite spectrum is close to final. Starlink said it has built 20 gateway sites in India, and Jio’s chairman Akash Ambani said Jio is building its own satellite stack and is moving ahead on approvals. Nothing launched for ordinary users at IMC.
4. Spam and fraud. The Sanchar Saathi portal and the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator were showcased by DoT, and the Prime Minister called for stronger protection against deepfakes. I did not find a new consumer-facing fraud tool launched at the event.
5. 6G is a roadmap, not a plan you can buy. Jio showed what it calls India’s first Giga MIMO radio and a baseband unit meant to support both 5G and 6G, and said India could be among the first to roll out 6G once standards are final around 2030. This is pre-6G development, not a commercial launch. Scindia also spoke of a target of one billion 5G users by 2030.
6. Phones. Motorola showed the Signature 27 on 9 October and confirmed an India launch “very soon”, but gave no date or price. It has the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, a 50MP main camera and a 200MP periscope lens. iQOO confirmed that the iQOO 16, with the same chip, is coming to India, also with no date or price. Neither phone has launched yet.
7. Vi’s AI call assistant. Vi presented a personal AI assistant that it says can handle nearly every voice call a Vi customer receives, in the customer’s preferred language. I found no launch date or details on how call audio is handled.
The 5G number, and what I found at home
Scindia said nearly 500 million people got 5G access in two and a half years, backed by about ₹4.5 lakh crore of investment and roughly five lakh towers. These are the government’s figures, and they measure coverage. They don’t say how well 5G works inside a home, where most people use their phones.
TechMitra Point: I tested this on my own phone in Lucknow on 7 October 2026 using the TRAI MySpeed app.
| Where | Network | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace | Jio 5G | 302.04 Mbps | 29.81 Mbps |
| Outside my home (11:17 AM) | Jio 5G | 113.85 Mbps | 13.49 Mbps |
| Outside my home (11:37 AM) | Jio 5G | 257.32 Mbps | 10.6 Mbps |
| Inside my home | Jio 5G | 1.38 Mbps | 2.7 Mbps |
| Terrace | BSNL 4G | 8.64 Mbps | 8.3 Mbps |
| Inside my home | BSNL 4G | 9.15 Mbps | 4.37 Mbps |
On Jio 5G, my terrace gave 302 Mbps, and just outside my home I got 114 and 257 Mbps in two tests 20 minutes apart. Inside the house, the same connection dropped to 1.38 Mbps. In my daily use it stays between roughly 1 and 3 Mbps. BSNL 4G gave around 9 Mbps both indoors and outdoors, so inside my house it beat Jio 5G by about six times.
My earlier TRAI MySpeed test on 9 July at the same location showed the same pattern: 0.81 Mbps on Jio 5G on my phone, even with full 5G bars showing, while my Jio AirFiber gave 101 Mbps on Wi-Fi.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Jio tests connected to Jio-hosted servers (Lucknow, and Delhi for the indoor test), while BSNL connected to TRAI’s Delhi server. Treat the Jio and BSNL comparison as a rough guide.
- The indoor Jio test had a latency of 38 ms, similar to the outdoor tests, so server distance doesn’t explain the gap.
- Walls are a likely reason for the weak indoor result, but I didn’t measure the 5G band, so I can’t prove it.
- This is one home in one area. Your building may be different, so test your own spot.
For everyday use inside my house, I rely on a home connection. Outdoors, Jio 5G can be excellent, but indoors it is weak at my place. Headline numbers tell you where a signal exists, not whether you can use it inside your home. Want to check your own? My TRAI MySpeed guide has the steps under “How to Run Your Own Test.”
Who was behind India Mobile Congress 2026
The partners list shows Ericsson as principal partner, with TCS, Nokia and Qualcomm as prime partners. Airtel, Jio and Vi are foundation partners, and BSNL is the India Connect partner. GSMA, the Bharat 6G Alliance, Hughes (satcom), Dixon and Meta are also listed.
Beyond phones and plans, a few company showcases are worth knowing about. Airtel focused on its sovereign cloud, data centres and an AI-based security operations centre for enterprises. Ericsson said it has made more than 15,000 antennas in India since July 2025 and plans to export India-made antennas to Europe and other markets. These are enterprise and industry stories, so they won’t change your phone bill soon.
Day-wise updates
Only announcements I could confirm from published reports are listed here.
- 7 October (Day 1): Conference programme begins. Airtel announces its revised postpaid plans, effective the next day.
- 8 October (Day 2): PM Modi inaugurates the 10th edition and says 5G has reached every district. Scindia addresses the Ministerial Programme on connecting the next billion. BSNL announces its four initiatives. Airtel’s new postpaid plans take effect. Akash Ambani speaks on an indigenous tech stack and Jio’s satellite work.
- 9 October (Day 3): The International Bharat 6G Symposium aligns the roadmap toward IMT-2030. Jio shows its pre-6G stack and Giga MIMO radio. Motorola shows the Signature 27.
- 10 October (Day 4): The final day covers the Global Initiative on AI for Agri-Food Systems, the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge, the ITU Build-A-Thon on autonomous AI agents for 5G networks, and a session on last-mile rural broadband. The event concluded on Saturday.
FAQ
When was India Mobile Congress 2026? 7 to 10 October 2026.
Where was it held? Yashobhoomi (India International Convention and Expo Centre), Dwarka, New Delhi.
Who organises it? The Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
Did Airtel raise postpaid prices? Yes. From 8 October, Airtel postpaid plans cost ₹50 more per month, starting at ₹499, and include one free international roaming trip per SIM each year.
Was 6G launched? No. Jio showed pre-6G technology, but 6G standards are not final and no commercial 6G service exists.
Is Starlink available in India now? Not commercially, based on reports from the event. Starlink and others hold licences, but service depends on spectrum allocation and security compliance.
Did any new phones launch at IMC 2026? Motorola confirmed the Signature 27 and iQOO confirmed the iQOO 16 for India. Neither has an announced price or launch date yet.
Sources: India Mobile Congress official site, Newsonair: theme launch and Scindia’s statements, Newsonair: PM Modi inaugurates IMC 2026, Business Standard: IMC 2026 begins, Businessworld via TradingView: satellite, 6G and manufacturing, CXOToday: Day 3, Digital Terminal: closing day, ANI via Tribune: event concludes, Devdiscourse: Airtel postpaid, Zee Business: BSNL initiatives, NewsBytes: Jio pre-6G, Entrepreneur India: Akash Ambani at IMC, TelecomTalk: Vi at IMC, 91mobiles: Motorola Signature 27, Digital Terminal: iQOO 16.
Ayush Singhal is the founder and chief editor of TechMitra.in — a tech hub dedicated to simplifying gadgets, AI tools, and smart innovations for everyday users. With over 15 years of business experience, a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) degree, and 5 years of hands-on experience running an electronics retail shop, Ayush brings real-world gadget knowledge and a genuine passion for emerging technology.
At TechMitra, he covers everything from AI breakthroughs and gadget reviews to app guides, mobile tips, and digital how-tos. His goal is simple — to make tech easy, useful, and enjoyable for everyone. When he’s not testing the latest devices or exploring AI trends, Ayush spends his time crafting tutorials that help readers make smarter digital choices.
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