The India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024 commenced today, October 15, marking its eighth edition, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the event, Modi also opened the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) 2024, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations. “India has democratised digital technology,” the Prime Minister stated.
Modi emphasized that telecommunications in India transcends mere connectivity; it serves as a tool for equity and opportunity. He recalled introducing the Digital India initiative a decade ago, outlining a comprehensive strategy based on four key pillars: reducing device costs, ensuring nationwide digital connectivity, making data widely available, and adopting a ‘digital-first’ approach.
He emphasized that WTSA aims to foster global empowerment through consensus, while the India Mobile Congress seeks to enhance empowerment via improved connectivity. He noted that the link between consensus and connectivity is particularly vital in today’s world, which is often marked by conflict.
Over the past decade, India has laid optical fibers covering a distance equivalent to eight times that of the Earth-moon distance. Modi noted that at the last IMC two years ago, 5G was introduced, and now every district in India has 5G coverage. The country has firmly established itself as a 5G market and is quickly progressing towards developing 6G technology.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, who also addressed attendees, remarked, “We march with the world in 5G, but we shall lead the world in 6G.” He projected that 5G would contribute approximately $450 billion to India’s economy by 2040, highlighting that 5G has been rolled out across all 36 states and Union Territories, covering 98% of districts and 80% of the population in just 22 months.
The four-day event at Pragati Maidan will conclude on October 18, featuring participation from prominent industry players such as Xiaomi, Qualcomm, Reliance Jio, and Ericsson. Additionally, the popular Meta Ray-Ban XR glasses will be showcased at IMC 2024.
Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani emphasized the potential for AI to transform India into a new-age global factory and service center. The event will spotlight advancements in 5G, practical AI use cases, and next-gen technology demonstrations. Xiaomi and Snapdragon plan to announce a partnership to integrate the latest Snapdragon chips into Xiaomi devices, enhancing performance, particularly in budget smartphones.
Qualcomm’s showcase is anticipated to attract attention, highlighting on-device AI’s role in enhancing mobile experiences and industrial processes. The company aims to promote broader 5G adoption across India, with demonstrations of its latest processors designed for intensive computing tasks.
An exciting feature of Qualcomm’s exhibition includes the demonstration of the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, powered by the Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 chip, which aim to integrate augmented reality into daily life, offering real-time navigation, text translation, and immersive experiences. This aligns with Qualcomm’s vision of incorporating wearables into the tech ecosystem.
