Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, participated in a high-level CEO Round Table on The Sovereign Inflection & The Future of Telecom during the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.

The leadership dialogue brought together senior representatives from the telecommunications, digital infrastructure, network equipment, technology and consulting sectors to deliberate on emerging opportunities and strategic priorities shaping the future of India’s telecom sector. The session was part of IMC 2026, organised under the theme “Scale Without Boundaries”, with a focus on translating innovation into scalable, resilient and globally relevant digital capabilities.

The Round Table witnessed the participation of senior industry leaders from leading telecom service providers, network equipment manufacturers, technology companies, digital infrastructure firms and industry advisory organisations. The discussions reflected strong industry engagement and focused on advancing telecom infrastructure, fostering innovation, strengthening indigenous capabilities and supporting the next phase of India’s digital growth. Shri Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, also participated in the deliberations along with senior officials from the Department.

The discussions centred on the rapidly evolving telecom value chain and the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, cloud and compute, advanced connectivity, intelligent networks and next-generation communication technologies. The participants also deliberated on strengthening domestic capabilities, fostering innovation, building resilient digital infrastructure and creating an enabling policy environment to support sustained investment and technological advancement.

Shri Scindia also said “I think we have been meeting quite regularly and therefore this is not an annual meeting for any of us. But having said that, what has come out very clearly in this year's IMC is that we have achieved a lot in the last decade. Both in terms of coverage, penetration, affordability, inclusivity, innovation and really providing the foundational layer for a lot of application platforms to be innovated in our country. We are the second largest telecom market, we are the second largest mobile phone producer. Now end to end value chain is going to be produced in India thanks to the vision of our Prime Minister with 8-9 semiconductor fabs coming up in India. And therefore the fundamental inflection point today is going to be based on who writes the rules, who makes the equipment, who designs innovation, who builds the technology.”

Addressing the industry leadership, Shri Scindia emphasised the importance of a partnership-based approach between the Government and industry in shaping the next phase of India’s telecom journey. He underlined the role of the Department of Telecommunications as an enabler and facilitator in fostering an ecosystem in which all stakeholders could contribute to the growth and development of the sector.

The Minister highlighted that the telecom ecosystem encompassed network equipment and optical fibre manufacturers, telecom service providers, internet service providers, applications, platforms and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. He emphasised that the collective strength of these interconnected segments would play an important role in determining the future competitiveness and resilience of India’s digital economy. Importance of moving beyond connectivity towards technologies and digital infrastructure that created wider economic and social value. He highlighted India’s expanding digital ecosystem and the growing role of telecommunications as an enabling foundation for digital public infrastructure, emerging technologies, innovation and economic growth.

The Round Table provided an opportunity for industry leaders to share their perspectives on sectoral developments, technology adoption, investment opportunities and policy and regulatory priorities required to support the next phase of telecom growth. The interaction reflected the Government’s continued commitment to maintaining an open and constructive dialogue with industry and ensuring that policy frameworks remained responsive to technological and market developments.

The deliberations at the CEO Round Table reinforced the vision of “Scale Without Boundaries” by bringing the Government and industry together to shape a future-ready telecom ecosystem based on innovation, resilience, trusted infrastructure, indigenous capabilities and global competitiveness.

The Department of Telecommunications reiterated its commitment to continued engagement with industry stakeholders, innovators, technology companies and other partners for the development of a robust and inclusive digital communications ecosystem and for strengthening India’s position as a global hub for telecom innovation and technology.

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