New Delhi,  October 28 2023: The 7th Edition of Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023, the largest telecom, media and technology forum in Asia, jointly organized by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), kicked-off yesterday with inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra  Modi at Bharat Mandapam in the presence of over 7000 people.
Demonstrating this year's theme of "Global Digital Innovation", the first day witnessed a number of delegates and exhibitors who showcased innovative technologies, ideas and use cases across key industries and sectors.
The ‘100 5G labs initiative’, is an endeavour to realize the opportunities associated with 5G technology by encouraging the development of 5G applications which cater, both to India’s unique needs as well as the global demands. The unique initiative will foster innovation across various socioeconomic sectors like education, agriculture, health, power, transportation etc, and propel the country into the forefront of usage of 5G technology.
Mr 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 400,000 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 has increased 3 times within one year. He 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 remarked.

 The first day featured some important sessions which included: Unlocking the power of telecom, Championing Change: Tracing the Path of Innovation, beaming beyond borders: The orbital voyage of connectivity, building cyber resiliency in the New Digital Age were a few among many. These sessions were led by Industry leaders coming from India and around the globe which included Ericsson, Intel, Reliance, ISRO, Qualcomm, Giesecke & Devrient, MediaTek, KPMG, etc. 
Industry leaders also spoke on the inauguration and during panel discussion sessions.
Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio said, "Every generation needs a vision to inspire and our visionary Prime Minister, you have given my generation, an aspirational vision of transforming our country into Viksit Bharat. The best example of this is India’s digital public infrastructure, which has been internationally praised. Shri Narendra Modiji, your efforts to bring India and Indians together motivate all of us at the India Mobile Congress. Through the power of technology and connectivity, we will unite and inspire 1.4 billion Indians with the single dream of making our beloved Motherland Bharat the most prosperous, technologically advanced, inclusive and most harmonious nation in the world. On behalf of all the young digital entrepreneurs, young digital innovators, and young digital start-ups at the IMC, I assure you that we shall work tirelessly 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 Shri 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.
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”.