The 7th Installment of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 Commences in New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurates Event with Focus on 6G Leadership
The 7th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 kicked off today at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with the theme "Global Digital Innovation" taking center stage. The event's inauguration was graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it featured a showcase of innovative technologies, ideas, and use cases spanning various key industries and sectors.
During the inauguration, Prime Minister Modi recalled the remarkable 5G rollout that India achieved the previous year, which garnered global attention. He emphasized that India's momentum didn't wane after the success of 5G but rather shifted to a broader goal of ensuring its accessibility to all. He stated, "India transitioned from the 5G rollout phase to the 5G outreach phase." Within just one year of the 5G rollout, the Prime Minister highlighted the development of over 4 lakh 5G base stations, providing coverage to more than 97 percent of cities and 80 percent of the population. Furthermore, median mobile broadband speeds witnessed a threefold increase in just one year, and India climbed from the 118th position to the 43rd position in terms of broadband speed. In addition to expanding the 5G network across the nation, Prime Minister Modi emphasized India's commitment to becoming a frontrunner in 6G technology. He expressed his confidence that India would lead the way in 6G technology.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi presented 100 '5G Use Case Labs' to educational institutions throughout the nation. The '100 5G labs initiative' represents a concerted effort to harness the potential of 5G technology by encouraging the development of 5G applications that cater to both India's unique requirements and global demands. This exceptional initiative will serve as a catalyst for innovation across diverse socioeconomic sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, energy, transportation, and more, positioning the country at the forefront of 5G technology utilization. It also marks a significant stride in establishing a 6G-ready academic and startup ecosystem in the country.
At the India Mobile Congress 2023, two novel components were introduced: 'Aspire,' a pioneering startup program, and 'Robo Blitz,' a robotic warfare event, making their debut. 'Aspire' is designed to ignite the future of entrepreneurial growth among young innovators and industry professionals in the telecommunications and other digital domains, while the 'Robo Blitz' competition invites young engineers and technology enthusiasts to showcase their robotics skills.
On the inaugural day of the event, the agenda encompassed a forward-looking technology landscape, featuring discussions on various topics including telecom and digital infrastructure, automation, AI, data privacy, satellite communication, 6G technology, drone applications, rural connectivity, and Industrial IoT. These sessions not only shed light on these subjects but also elucidated a path towards innovation and entrepreneurship within the framework of sustainable development goals. They underscored the pivotal role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a transformative catalyst for future technology, illustrating how it can transform the world into a digital realm for work, all while emphasizing that 5G and 6G technologies serve as the launchpad for realizing these ideals, making them affordable and accessible to the global population for the advancement of the world's digital evolution.
