Minister of State for Communications, Education and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Sanjay Dhotre today announced the fourth edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020, through a video message. The IMC 2020 is scheduled for 8th -10th December, and will be held virtually this year given the ongoing pandemic.

This prestigious event, jointly organized by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAT), will see 50+ participating countries, 110 + Global Speakers , Start-ups, 30 plus hrs of content, with over 15000 expected visitors over the three day programme.

This year IMC's theme is going to be - "Inclusive Innovation - Smart I Secure I Sustainable". IMC 2020 would aim to align to the Hon'ble Prime Minister's Vision to promote Atmanirbhar Bharat (Make In India - local manufacturing and to push for 'Make for World') , foster international regional cooperation, inspire Satat Bharat — Sanatan Bharat (Digital inclusivity in connecting nearly 6 lakh villages with optical fiber and sustainable development), promote Samagra Bharat - Saksham Bharat (entrepreneurship & innovation), drive foreign and local investments, encourage R&D in the Telecom and Emerging Technology sectors and to facilitate supportive regulatory & policy frameworks.

This year prime Partners include Dell Technologies, Ribbon Communications and Red Hat. India's largest technology event this year will witness the coming together of some of the top industry stalwarts, Regulators and Policy Makers from across the globe. It also includes participation from various Ministries, the Telco CEO's, Global CEO's and Experts in SG Broadcasting, SG Enterprise solutions, OTT, and Sustainable Futurists, virtual in the light of pandemic to discuss and deliberate upon industry issues, challenges, future trends and opportunities.

Considered the largest Digital Technology Forum in Asia, IMC has established itself as a leading platform for bringing together the industry, Government, academia, and other ecosystem players to discuss, deliberate and display the latest industry technology trends around major themes such as SG, Artificial Intelligence (Al), Internet of things (loT), Data Analytics, Cloud and Edge Computing, Open source tech, data privacy and cyber security, Smart Cities and automation.

Speaking at the curtain raiser, the Hon'ble Minister of State for Communications, Education and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Sanjay Dhotre, said, "We firmly believe that the India Mobile Congress 2020 will be a key showcase for technology driven initiatives as it brings together all stakeholders in the Telecommunications ecosystem and provides the right forum for valuable discussion on key topics relevant to policymakers, regulators and the industry. India Mobile Congress is one such platform, where the efforts of the Indian Government and the Telecom Industry are given an apt showcase to not just our nation, but to the world at large." Shri Anshu Prakash, Chairman, DCC and Secretary (T), DoT, Ministry of Communications, Government of India and Smt Anita Praveen, Additional Secretary (T), DoT, Ministry of Communications, Government of India and Shri AjaiPuri Chairman COAT , COO Bharti Airtel also graced the occasion as Guests of Honour.

Lt. Gen. Dr. SP Kochhar, Director General, COAT said, "We are thankful to our Hon'ble  Minister of State Shri Sanjay Dhotre, for his immense support and guidance in successfully reaching the fourth year of this grand event. We are also grateful to the Government of India for the huge effort put into this and for providing a facilitative environment to the entire industry. With all this help, India Mobile Congress has established itself as the biggest technology event in South Asia and the biggest networking event in India in the digital technology space. We are sure that all stakeholders will look forward to this platform for launches and releases of new technologies. Officials and senior decision makers from both the Government as well as the industry will be present and tech companies will be displaying the best that this ecosystem has to offer at this marquee event of the country."

About COAI: COAI was constituted in 1995 as a registered, non-governmental society. COAI's vision is to establish India as the global leader of mobile communications infrastructure, products and services and achieving a national tele density of 100 per cent, including broadband. The association is also dedicated to the advancement of modern communication and towards delivering the benefits of innovative and affordable mobile communication services to the people of India.

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RCJ/M