India Mobile Congress 2026: The 6G, AI and Network Highlights, and What They Mean for Your Phone
Asia's big telecom show put 6G and AI-powered networks centre stage. Jio showed pre-6G radios, Vi and BSNL showed voice AI in Indian languages, and Airtel raised postpaid prices.
Every October, India's telecom industry gathers in New Delhi to show what is coming next for your phone and your internet connection. The 10th India Mobile Congress (IMC) ran from October 7 to 10, 2026 at Yashobhoomi, the convention centre in Dwarka, under the theme "Scale Without Boundaries". The headline topics were 6G and AI-powered networks.
Trade shows are full of demos that may never become products. Here is a guide to what was shown, separated into what is real now and what is still on the drawing board.
Quick answer
- 6G was the main theme, with a symposium aligned to IMT-2030, the global name for 6G standards. But 6G phones and networks are still years away.
- Jio showed pre-6G radio equipment; it is research, not a launch.
- Vi and BSNL showed voice assistants in Indian languages for customer service.
- Airtel showcased its cloud and security business, and raised postpaid prices by ₹50 on some plans from October 8.
- Ericsson showed AI tools that help networks fix themselves.
The 6G story: where India stands
Mobile networks change generation roughly every ten years. 4G arrived in India in the mid-2010s, 5G in 2022, and 6G is expected around 2030. The international standards are being written now under the banner of IMT-2030, coordinated by the UN's telecom agency, the ITU.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India is moving from adopting technology to helping shape global standards. He described 5G Standalone networks, which do not rely on older 4G equipment, as the bridge to 6G, and said India has already built and deployed its own 4G technology stack. Under its Bharat 6G Vision, set out in 2023, India aims to hold 10% of global 6G patents.
What the operators showed
Reliance Jio displayed a Giga MIMO radio, a large antenna system that can handle many signals at once, alongside equipment designed to support both 5G and future 6G. Jio said it has filed more than 8,000 patents, including hundreds related to 6G. These are company figures, and a pre-6G demonstration is not the same as a finished standard or a product you can buy.
Bharti Airtel focused on its business services: a "sovereign" cloud that keeps data in India, its Nxtra data centres, and an AI-powered security operations centre it says is used by Indian Railways and the EPFO. For consumers, the news was less welcome: Airtel's revised postpaid plans took effect on October 8, with a ₹50 increase on the affected plans and an international roaming trip included each year.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) showed Vinzy, a prototype voice assistant for its app that works in regional languages, and a private 5G network for a mine. BSNL updated its Vaani app with regional-language support and a voice-based complaint process.
AI inside the network
A big theme was "AI-native" networks: using AI to plan, run and repair mobile networks automatically. Ericsson showed AI apps that can detect problems and fix them without an engineer, and network features that let apps request better quality for a video call or check whether your SIM has just been swapped, a common fraud trick. It also showed a 5G demonstration linked to Kavach, Indian Railways' train-protection system, and said it has made more than 15,000 antennas in India since July 2025.
For users, the promise is fewer dropped calls and faster fixes. The risk is that complex AI systems can fail in unexpected ways, so operators will need strong safeguards.
New phones, and a satellite update
The show also saw new phones from iQOO and Motorola using Qualcomm's latest high-end chip. Read our guide to new phones launching this season. On satellite internet, Starlink was reported to have about 20 gateway sites in India but was still waiting for final approvals. Our explainer on why Starlink is not yet live in India has the details.
Real now, or still a demo?
- Real now: Airtel's new postpaid prices; 5G Standalone networks in many cities; regional-language customer-service apps from BSNL.
- Coming soon, maybe: Vi's Vinzy assistant; AI-run network features from equipment makers.
- Years away: 6G networks and 6G phones, expected around 2030.
What it means for you
- No need to buy a "6G-ready" phone. There is no such thing yet.
- Check your plan: if you are an Airtel postpaid user, look at your next bill and compare plans.
- Watch for voice AI: customer-service bots that understand your language are coming, but always ask for a human if a bot cannot solve your problem.
- Stay alert to SIM-swap fraud: never share OTPs, and report a sudden loss of signal on your phone to your operator at once.
Related reading
Sources
This article draws on the following reporting. Dates are when each source was originally published.
- Telecom Unpacked: India Mobile Congress 2026: Jio, Airtel, 6G & AI
- Electronics Media: India Mobile Congress 2026 Highlights 6G, AI Networks and Cybersecurity ·
- BW Businessworld: India Mobile Congress 2026 Begins With 6G, AI In Focus
Written by
Stories, explainers and features published by The Daily, based on public sources that are listed with every article.
More from The Daily →Enjoyed this story?
Get the best of The Daily in your inbox every Sunday.
