India’s digital trajectory is entering a new phase – one defined not only by scale of connectivity, but also by the depth of indigenous capability being built across networks, devices and advanced technology ecosystems. The direction is clear: move from adoption to creation, from assembly to design, and from participating in global technology shifts to shaping them. This approach was articulated at the recently held India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, where telecom and digital infrastructure was positioned as the core enabler of national development and global competitiveness.
Over the past decade, the expansion of electronics and mobile manufacturing has reflected sustained policy support and coordinated investment aimed at achieving technological self-reliance. The emergence of a domestically engineered 4G stack, ready for deployment and export, demonstrates the strengthening of indigenous capability. This foundation now extends to the country’s long-term 6G vision, focused on contributing to standards, architecture and research, and not merely adopting next-generation networks.
New legislation governing telecommunications aims to accelerate this transition by simplifying network roll-outs, enabling faster approvals and strengthening digital security frameworks. This aligns with a broader emphasis on restoring user trust in digital systems and equipping the industry to address rising cyber fraud risks.
The government perceives the shift in India’s position in the global telecom landscape as structural rather than cyclical. India is now viewed not only as a large consumption market, but also as a site of innovation, design and standards development. The expectations surrounding next-generation networks, both in terms of economic contribution and technological maturity, reflect this shift. Targeted incentive programmes continue to deepen manufacturing capacity, expand exports, generate employment and increase domestic value addition.
The International 6G Symposium, held alongside IMC 2025, further reinforced this trajectory. Research alliances and ecosystem partnerships released frameworks on spectrum planning, network architecture and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into network evolution.
Across the exhibition floor and discussions, a consistent narrative emerged – digital transformation is expanding from connectivity to broad-based innovation. Widespread digital inclusion, national payments infrastructure and the rise of entrepreneurship have enabled innovation to emerge well beyond established urban clusters. The transition under way is not only technological – it is a redefinition of India’s role in the global digital economy.
Satellite networks for universal connectivity
At IMC 2025, satellite communications (satcom) was positioned as an essential element for extending digital access to the last mile. While terrestrial networks have achieved near-universal reach, connecting 99.9 per cent of the population through approximately 0.5 million 5G sites in just 20 months, a segment of remote and geographically challenging regions still remains outside conventional coverage. To bridge this gap, the government is deploying satellite-based connectivity under national inclusion initiatives. The administrative allocation of satellite spectrum has been introduced to ensure regulatory clarity and parity with global norms, while updated licensing frameworks are enabling a more diverse satcom ecosystem. The establishment of a Rs 9 billion national satcom monitoring facility is expected to strengthen the oversight of spectrum resources and improve the reliability and security of satellite gateways. These efforts are occurring alongside a rapidly growing market opportunity. The Indian satcom sector, valued at $4.3 billion in 2024, is projected to triple to $14.8 billion by 2033, reflecting both economic and strategic potential.
This direction is also part of a broader shift in the country’s space capability, from being primarily a user of satellite services to participating in their design, manufacturing and global deployment. The emphasis now is on treating satcom not only as an instrument for connectivity, but also as an enabler of equitable access, economic participation and long-term technological self-reliance.
Centre-state collaboration
Centre-state coordination forms the backbone of India’s ongoing digital infrastructure expansion. Efforts to improve last-mile connectivity and extend 4G and 5G networks into rural and remote regions depend not only on national policy direction but also on on-ground facilitation at the state level. While telecom is a central subject, the physical roll-out of infrastructure requires state cooperation on land access, tower siting, clearances and local implementation. A shared approach, supported by alignment of state policies with national digital priorities, is enabling the adoption of indigenous technologies, the spread of digital public infrastructure and the equitable distribution of connectivity benefits across regions.
A key element in strengthening this collaboration is the operationalisation of the Telecommunications Right of Way Rules, 2025. Provisions such as single-window clearances, time-bound approvals, uniform cost structures and infrastructure sharing are designed to ease deployment bottlenecks and accelerate network expansion under the National Broadband Mission 2.0. The effectiveness of these reforms depends on timely execution at the state and district levels, where permissions and land access decisions are made.
Focus on research and capacity building
Strengthening research, institutional capability and regulatory preparedness emerged as a key priority at IMC 2025. A long-term cooperation framework was established between the National Communications Academy, the Department of Telecommunications and an industry association to support policy development, capacity building and knowledge exchange in the telecom sector. The collaboration is aimed at advancing India’s digital transformation by enhancing policy expertise, promoting regulatory best practices and equipping the telecom ecosystem to engage more deeply in next-generation technology evolution.
The partnership will facilitate joint research programmes, training modules and leadership development initiatives focused on digital inclusion, sustainability and socio-economic growth. It also envisions cooperation in areas such as 5G and 6G development, AI in networks, internet of things ecosystems, quantum communications and spectrum planning.
By building structured institutional capacity, India seeks to deepen its role in global telecom standards and technology forums, and to advance its goals of technological self-reliance. The approach reflects an understanding that networks are not merely utility layers, they are also foundational infrastructure that shapes economic participation, governance systems and innovation-led growth. Capacity building, therefore, is positioned not as a supporting function, but as a strategic component of India’s digital progress trajectory.
AI-driven transformation
India’s approach to AI is shaped around measurable societal impact, public trust and digital inclusion. At IMC 2025, AI was discussed as an instrument to improve everyday life, whether in financial access, public safety, disaster response or essential service delivery. Recent deployments illustrate this trend. Interoperable digital payment systems have made seamless transactions universal; open digital marketplaces have expanded e-commerce participation for small sellers; and AI-enabled early warning and coordination networks are credited with saving over 0.5 million lives during the 2024 Kerala floods.
In communication networks, an AI-driven fraud risk indicator has blocked 4.8 million scam attempts, preventing losses estimated at Rs 1.4 billion, demonstrating the value of embedding intelligence directly into public infrastructure.
However, the rapid expansion of AI also introduces complex risks. Deepfake manipulation during elections, algorithmic biases in recruitment and lending models, and misidentification rates in facial recognition and clinical diagnostics show how AI can reproduce or amplify inequality when deployed without safeguards. Projections of job displacement in technology and manufacturing, along with concerns regarding privacy and data governance, underscore the need to ensure that AI systems remain accountable, transparent and human-centric.
To address these challenges, a structured framework for responsible AI has been articulated, centered on fairness, transparency, workforce adaptation, privacy protection and ethical governance. The approach calls for fairness audits and diverse data to reduce bias; reskilling programmes to prepare the workforce for AI-augmented roles; stronger protections for personal data, including federated learning approaches; and mandates for explainable AI in high-stakes sectors such as healthcare, finance and public services.
Global collaboration also forms a core pillar of this strategy. The AI for Good Summit at IMC 2025, co-hosted with an international standards body, brought together policymakers, researchers, start-ups and industry to discuss frameworks for responsible development. The focus was on applying AI in public health, agriculture, disaster management, climate resilience and youth safety where AI can meaningfully advance both social and economic goals. A collaborative innovation platform established under this initiative is intended to support solution development and expand India’s participation in global standards-setting processes.
Shaping the next phase of India’s digital journey
IMC 2025 underscored a shared commitment across industry and government to shape India’s digital future through collaboration, capability building and innovation-led growth. Leadership interactions with technology enterprises, start-ups and unicorn founders reflected a unified view of telecom as the foundation of the country’s digital economy, powering financial inclusion, service delivery and economic participation at scale. The direction being articulated is clear: build domestic design and manufacturing strength, expand the scope of digital public infrastructure, and enable innovators to solve India’s diverse and distributed needs.
The approach is anchored in developing solutions in India and scaling them globally, supported by investment in research, intellectual property creation, cybersecurity and skilled talent. As network infrastructure expands and platforms mature, the emphasis is shifting toward co-creating standards, strengthening supply chains and ensuring that inclusion remains central to growth. The country’s transformation from a services-led digital economy to one that increasingly integrates manufacturing, deep technology and entrepreneurship demonstrates this evolution process.
The focus now is on realising this vision through sustained collaboration, coordinated investment and continued trust-building across the digital ecosystem.
