Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Digital India initiative had played a major role in democratising technology and bridging the country’s digital divide, with mobile phones emerging as an important tool not only for communication but also for governance and access to public services. Addressing the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, Modi said the government’s focus had been on ensuring that modern technology did not remain limited to people with greater financial or technological resources. He described the mobile phone as being at the centre of India’s digital transformation and said expanding affordable connectivity was essential to making technology accessible to wider sections of society. IMC 2026 is being held from October 7 to 10 under the theme “Scale Without Boundaries”, with a focus on next-generation connectivity, digital innovation and inclusive access.

Modi said India had faced a significant challenge from the digital divide as modern technologies increasingly became available to people who had the resources to use them, while others risked being left behind. He said the Digital India initiative was conceived to address this gap by putting the mobile phone at the centre of the transformation. “Through the Digital India initiative, we resolved to change this situation, with the mobile phone at the centre of this transformation,” he said, describing the effort as a major step towards the democratisation of technology. The Prime Minister also pointed to the changing role of mobile phones over the past decade, saying they had moved beyond being devices used primarily for communication and had become instruments through which citizens could access education, payments, healthcare and government services.

The Prime Minister said that over the past 10 to 12 years, mobile connectivity had increasingly become part of India’s governance infrastructure. According to Modi, mobile phones had evolved into an important tool for good governance and remained central to the Digital India vision. He also highlighted the wider benefits of digital connectivity, including easier access to services and reduced travel and waiting times for citizens. At the IMC event, he said mobile and internet connectivity had helped make areas such as education, payments, healthcare and government services more accessible and seamless. He also said digital learning was now within the reach of a wider population, including people who previously had limited access to quality educational resources.

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Modi said the government had undertaken reforms in the telecommunications sector while expanding digital infrastructure to widen access to technology. He also highlighted the expansion of India’s 5G network, with more than 5.5 lakh base stations reported to be active. The government has positioned telecom infrastructure and digital public infrastructure as important components of its broader technology strategy. The 2026 edition of IMC includes established sectors such as 5G and 6G, artificial intelligence networks, semiconductors, non-terrestrial networks, cybersecurity and quantum communication, while also expanding into areas including smart mobility, industrial robotics, stadium experiences and transport technology.

The Prime Minister also used the event to underline the need for greater attention to digital security as connectivity expands. In his remarks, Modi said emerging challenges such as deepfakes and cyber fraud required stronger safeguards and called for a global framework covering data security. He said consumers needed confidence that their personal data and money were safe as digital services became more deeply integrated into everyday life. The comments came as IMC 2026 placed cybersecurity and secure digital ecosystems among its key areas of focus. The event is jointly organised by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India and brings together technology companies, telecom operators, startups, investors, policymakers and industry experts.

The 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress is expected to bring together participants from more than 100 countries and showcase developments across India’s expanding digital ecosystem. Organisers have said the event will feature more than 500 partners and exhibitors, over 600 startups, about 900 thought leaders and more than 2,000 technology use cases. The focus on inclusive connectivity reflects the government’s stated objective of taking digital services to a wider population while developing capabilities in emerging technologies. Modi’s remarks at the event placed the mobile phone at the centre of that effort, presenting digital access as a means of connecting citizens with services, opportunities and information while stressing that the benefits of technological progress need to reach beyond those who already have easy access to it.

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