The 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 concluded on October 10, 2026, with discussions centred on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture, autonomous AI agents for 5G networks and expanding digital connectivity to rural areas. The four-day event was held under the theme “Scale Without Boundaries” and brought together policymakers, industry leaders and technology developers to explore emerging technologies and their role in inclusive digital growth.
The concluding day featured the Global Initiative on AI for Agri-Food Systems Meeting, organised in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The programme also included the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge India and the ITU Build-A-Thon, where engineers worked on developing autonomous AI agents for 5G network orchestration.
Discussions during the event also addressed sustainable financing for rural broadband deployment and the infrastructure required to ensure that high-speed connectivity delivers economic benefits to communities at the grassroots level.
Agricultural AI Must Address Farmers’ Needs
Dr Bilel Jamoussi, Deputy Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, said AI applications in agriculture should focus on addressing practical challenges faced by farmers rather than prioritising technological sophistication.
He emphasised the need to develop AI solutions in collaboration with farmers and establish international standards that would allow successful applications to expand beyond individual pilot projects.
Syed Tausif Abbas, Senior Deputy Director General and Head of the Telecommunication Engineering Centre in the Department of Telecommunications, said the impact of agricultural AI should be assessed through improvements in farmers’ livelihoods, agricultural productivity, supply-chain efficiency and food security.
Abbas also highlighted the importance of making these solutions transparent, inclusive and accessible. He said developers must pay attention to data quality and privacy while addressing the specific requirements of small and marginal farmers.
Common Standards for Digital Agriculture
Industry representatives highlighted the need for common standards that support data sharing and interoperability across agricultural technology platforms. Such standards would help different systems exchange information and work together more effectively.
Debasish Mahalik of the Bureau of Indian Standards said strong frameworks covering data quality, privacy, security and interoperability would be necessary to make digital agriculture scalable and sustainable.
The discussions also underlined the importance of strengthening AI evaluation frameworks. These frameworks need to assess fairness, transparency, robustness and safety, particularly when AI systems operate under adverse conditions.
India’s Focus on Indigenous Technology and Global Standards
Ramakrishna P, CEO of India Mobile Congress, said the 10th edition reflected India’s growing ambition to move beyond deploying technology towards developing indigenous solutions and contributing to international standards.
The event followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on indigenous intellectual property and sovereign semiconductors. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia also outlined India’s ambition to account for 10 per cent of global 6G patents.
The discussions at IMC 2026 highlighted the importance of combining technological development with practical applications, common standards and wider access to digital infrastructure. Agricultural AI, automated 5G networks and rural connectivity emerged as key areas where technology development could support inclusive growth while strengthening India’s role in global telecommunications standards.
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