The India Mobile Congress (IMC) is the largest digital technologies' forum in Asia, consisting of a three-day international conference, and a technology exhibition. The event is envisioned to be the "leading platform for India's start-up and technology ecosystem." Within the telecommunications and technology industry, IMC is already known as the "largest digital technology forum in Asia." The mega-event is organised jointly by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India. The forum aims to be a platform for industry, businesses, regulators and policymakers to discuss and deliberate on critical issues affecting the growth and proliferation of the telecom and technology sector. In the first two editions, IMC was focused on the transformative technology of 5G and most of the booths showcased various use-cases and scenarios where 5G would play an important role; the exhibitors included service providers, OEMs and infrastructure providers. India Mobile Congress(IMC) 2022 is scheduled from 01-4 October 2022 at Pragati Madam, New Delhi.

Organizers

India Mobile Congress is jointly organized by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India and the Cellular Operators Association of India.

Department of Telecommunications

Department of Telecommunications is a department of the

Ministry of Communications A Communications Ministry or Department of Communications is a ministry or other government agency charged with communication. Communications responsibilities includes regulating telecommunications, postal services, broadcasting and print media. T ...

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

. The department was formed to ensure reliable, affordable and high-quality telecommunications services in the country that could facilitate accelerated and inclusive socio-economic development.

Cellular Operators Association of India

Cellular Operators Association of India
is a registered, non-governmental society, constituted in 1995 for the advancement of modern communication and successful proliferation of mobile networks throughout India. COAI is now the official voice of the India telecom industry and aims to present an industry consensus to the Government on crucial issues related to the Indian telecom industry.

Past Events

So far, five editions of India Mobile Congress have taken place. Starting in 2017, IMC is held annually and has taken place in the month of September in 2017 and October in 2018. India Mobile Congress 2019 was held from 14 October 2019 to 16 October 2019, IMC 2020 & IMC 2021 were held virtually on 08-09-10 Dec 2020 and 2021 respectively.

India Mobile Congress 2017

India Mobile Congress 2017 was held from 27 September 2017 to 29 September 2017 at

Pragati Maidan Pragati Maidan is a venue for large exhibitions and conventions in the city of New Delhi, India. It has an area of nearly 150 acres (more than 625,000m2) of exhibition space, being among the biggest exhibition centers in India. It is owned, o ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

. This was the first edition of the globally recognized event and saw the participation of 2000 delegates, 32000 visitors, 152 speakers, 100 start-ups and 100 exhibitors. IMC 2017 was inaugurated by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications,

Manoj Sinha Manoj Sinha (born 1 July 1959) is an Indian politician serving as the 2nd and the current Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He served as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications and Minister of State for Railway ...

. Some of the notable speakers at the event were: *

Ravi Shankar Prasad Ravi Shankar Prasad (born 30 August 1954) is an Indian politician and lawyer, from the Bharatiya Janata Party. A Member of Parliament since 2000, first in the Rajya Sabha (2000-2019) and then in the Lok Sabha (since 2019), Prasad has served as Un ...

, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology *

Dharmendra Pradhan Dharmendra Pradhan (; born 26 June 1969) is an Indian politician serving as the Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the Government of India. He has also been the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas ...

, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship *

Vittorio Colao Vittorio Amedeo Colao (born 3 October 1961) is an Italian manager who has been serving as Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition in the government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi from 2021 to 2022. From 2008 until 2018, he ...

, CEO of

Vodafone Group Vodafone Group plc () is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. , Vodafon ...

Mukesh Ambani Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani (born 19 April 1957) is an Indian billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), a Fortune Global 500 company and India's most valuable company by market value. Acco ...

, Chairman,

Reliance Industries Reliance Industries Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate company, headquartered in Mumbai. It has diverse businesses including energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, retail, telecommunications, mass media, and textiles. Reliance is ...

Sunil Bharti Mittal Sunil Bharti Mittal (born 23 October 1957) is an Indian billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist and the founder and chairperson of Bharti Enterprises, which has diversified interests in telecom, insurance, real estate, education, malls, hospit ...

, Chairman,

Bharti Enterprises Bharti Enterprises is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Delhi. It was founded in 1976 by Sunil Mittal. Bharti Enterprises owns businesses spanning across manufacturing, telecommunications, agribusiness, real estate, hos ...

* Rajan Anandan,

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

Vice President for South East Asia and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

India Mobile Congress 2017 was dubbed "''the country's first and biggest ever, platform to bring together all stakeholders from Telecom, Internet & Mobility ecosystem along with Information and Communication Technology players, app developers, innovators and start-ups."'' Exhibitors included Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), handset manufacturers, Internet giants, ISPs, Global technology players, AI & VR companies, Mobility leaders, Academia, Start-ups and app providers.

India Mobile Congress 2018

India Mobile Congress 2018 India Mobile Congress 2018 (IMC) was a technology event and international conference jointly organised by the Cellular Operators Association of India, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Department of Telecommunications, Governm ...

was held on 25 October 2018 through 27 October 2018 at

Aerocity The Delhi Aerocity Metro Station is located on the Delhi Airport Express Line of the Delhi Metro. This station is located near the NH-8 highway. While the Airport Express Line was opened on 23 February 2011, this station was not opened to the p ...

. The event was kick-started with a grand inauguration ceremony, led by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications,

. The keynote address was delivered b
Youngky Kim
President and Head of Networks Business at

Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of ...

. The theme for the 2018 edition was "New Digital Horizons Connect, Create, Innovate". The event venue was spread over 50,000 square meters of space and participants included: * 50,000+ visitors * 20 countries * 5000+ international delegates * 300 companies showcasing their latest products and innovations * 10 supporting ministries

India Mobile Congress 2019

India Mobile Congress 2019 was held on 14 October 2019 to 16 October 2019 at

.India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2019 was the third edition of India's marquee telecom and technology event that has quickly become one of the most important platforms for policy discussions, industry debates, collaborations, networking and highlighting industry trends. Jointly organised by the Department of Telecommunications & COAI, with support from Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the theme for IMC 2019 was Imagine: a new CONNECTED world; Intelligent. Immersive. Inventive.” The event was inaugurated by Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad and attended by the who's who of the telecom and allied sectors. IMC 2019 saw the participation of more than 50 countries, telecom giants, OEMs, system integrators, technology experts, industry analysts, government officials, young professionals, startups and students.

Technology & Innovation

The focus area for IMC 2019 was 5G with more than 50 5G demos (use cases) showcased over three days. A number of companies including Ericsson, Huawei, Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio, Nokia, Qualcomm and ZTE, showcased unique 5G use cases. It's demos and showcases like this that make India Mobile Congress a resounding success and ensure that it stands heads and shoulders above other tech and telecom events in Asia. Apart from 5G, other focus areas were smart cities, internet of things (IoT), logistics, Dubbed the biggest digital technology platform in Asia, IMC 2019 certainly lived up to the hype by putting up a grand show with 60,000 square metres of total event area. This year, there was a footfall of 75,278 over three days and social media was abuzz with the news of IMC with over 1.4 billion impressions recorded across various social media platforms.

Startups

More than 250 startups were a part of IMC 2019. Startups are an integral part of India Mobile Congress and each year, we aim to push an increasing number of startups to the forefront by giving them an opportunity to showcase their products, collaborate with other companies, network with industry decision makers and leave a lasting impression. To celebrate the spirit of innovation and help the startups of today to become the unicorns of tomorrow, IMC in collaboration with AGNIi, Invest India, Startup India and Nalco, organised a Grand Innovation Challenge to recognise the best innovations by Indian startups. There were some notable speakers at the event like: *

, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. Law & Justice, Government of India . * Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the

Aditya Birla Group Aditya Birla Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai. It operates in 100 countries with more than 1,40,000 employees directly and indirectly. The group was founded by Seth Shiv Narayan Birla in 1857. The group ha ...

* Malcolm Johnson, Deputy Secretary-General

ITU The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...

Jim Whitehurst James Moon Whitehurst is an American business executive. He was the President at IBM and chair of the board at Red Hat, and previously Chief Executive Officer at Red Hat and Chief Operating Officer at Delta Air Lines. Prior to working at Delta ...

, President and CEO

Red Hat Red Hat, Inc. is an American software company that provides open source software products to enterprises. Founded in 1993, Red Hat has its corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, with other offices worldwide. Red Hat has become ass ...

* Nunzio Mirtillo , Sr. Vice President & Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania & India

Ericsson (lit. "Telephone Stock Company of LM Ericsson"), commonly known as Ericsson, is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm. The company sells infrastructure, software, and services in informat ...

* Arun Kumar, Chairman and CEO,

KPMG KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...

India

India Mobile Congress 2020

IMC 2020 was a virtual event, which had around 27,213 attendees, national and international delegates, over 170 partners & exhibitors and start-ups, and more than 196 thought leaders including the opening address by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India

Shri Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the List of Prime Ministers of India, 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the List of chief ministers of Gujarat, Chief Minist ...

. This event had more than 1.16 billion Digital media impressions, and 1.9 Mn video downloads, spanning three days.

India Mobile Congress 2021

IMC 2021 was a virtual event, which had around 23,118 attendees, national and international delegates, over 218 partners & exhibitors and start-ups, and more than 226 thought leaders. This event had more than 1.06 billion Digital media impressions, and 1.42 Mn video downloads, spanning three days

References

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