India expanded its broadband subscriber base from 60 million to 1 billion in a decade, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said at IMC 2026, asserting that India will lead in 6G while transforming its digital connectivity and telecom technology landscape.
India has witnessed a major transformation in its telecommunications and digital connectivity landscape over the past decade, with the country’s broadband subscriber base expanding from around 60 million to 1 billion, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday.
Addressing the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, Scindia highlighted the rapid expansion of digital connectivity in the country and said India is now moving towards a stronger position in the global technology ecosystem. He also asserted that India would move from being a technology standards taker to becoming a standards setter, with the country aiming to lead the world in 6G technology.
Scindia said the growth of India’s broadband base represented one of the most significant changes in the country’s digital landscape in the last decade. According to him, the expansion from approximately 60 million broadband subscribers to 1 billion has substantially widened access to digital services, communication and innovation.
The Communications Minister also pointed to the affordability of mobile data in India, saying the country now offers among the world’s cheapest mobile data services. The cost of 1 GB of mobile data is around Rs 8, he said.
“Every drop in cost, every increase in usage, has expanded that canvas in which every single Indian can connect, can create, and can innovate,” Scindia said while addressing the gathering at IMC 2026.
He said the combination of affordable connectivity and increased usage has helped create opportunities for people across the country to participate in the digital economy. The expansion of telecom infrastructure, according to Scindia, has also strengthened the foundation for innovation and technology-led development.
Highlighting India’s ambitions in next-generation telecommunications, Scindia said the country wants to change its role in the global technology standards ecosystem. He said India was behind in 4G while the world had moved ahead with 5G, but the country now intends to take a leadership role in the development of 6G.
“We were behind in 4G, with the world in 5G and we will lead in 6G,” Scindia said.
The minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the country’s connectivity and technology development. He said Modi had presented a vision in 2014 of an India that would be connected and would eventually become a leader in technology design.
Scindia said India had achieved in a decade what, in his assessment, could have taken many other countries significantly longer to accomplish. He described the progress made in telecommunications and digital technology as a reflection of the country’s changing position in the global technology landscape.
“PM Modi gave us a vision in 2014 that India would be connected and would lead in design in the future,” Scindia said.
The minister also referred to October 7 as a significant date in India’s political history, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 25 years as a head of government. Scindia said the occasion marked 25 years of Modi’s service as a head of government at the state or national level.
He said Modi’s journey had been guided by the philosophy that “Work is worship” and described the Prime Minister’s 25-year public service journey as one of selfless performance of duties.
Scindia said the vision presented in 2014 was focused on building a connected India, strengthening design capabilities and positioning the country to lead in technology. He linked the progress of India’s telecom and digital sectors over the past decade with that broader vision.
“What India’s telecom and digital fraternity has achieved under the Prime Minister’s leadership over this single decade is something that might have taken many other nations centuries to accomplish,” Scindia said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the venue to inaugurate the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress. Scindia felicitated the Prime Minister on his arrival ahead of the inaugural programme.
The 10th edition of IMC 2026 is being held from October 7 to 10 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. The event is being organised by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India.
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The India Mobile Congress brings together stakeholders from the telecommunications and technology sectors, providing a platform for discussions on emerging technologies, connectivity, digital innovation and the future of mobile communications.
Scindia’s remarks at the event underlined India’s growing emphasis on next-generation connectivity and its ambition to play a greater role in shaping global telecom standards. With the broadband subscriber base reaching 1 billion and the country preparing for the next phase of mobile technology, the minister said India is now aiming to establish itself as a leader in the development of 6G.
