India Mobile Congress (IMC), Asia’s largest digital technology forum, is an annual event organized by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The eighth edition of IMC is being held from 15th to 18th October at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Over the years, IMC has firmly established itself as a premier global platform for showcasing cutting-edge innovation and technology.
Theme and Key Areas of Focus
With the theme “The Future is Now,” IMC 2024 aims to uniteglobal leaders, visionaries, and innovators to collaborate and shape the technologies transforming our world today. The key areas of focus this year include 6G& 5G use cases, AI, quantum technology, cybersecurity, circular economy, semiconductors, cloud and edge computing, IoT, CleanTech, electronics manufacturing and satellite communication, among others. There will be 100+ sessions and discussions focusing on how these innovations are revolutionizing industries like healthcare, education and agriculture, creating significant impact worldwide.
Expected Participation
Founded in 2017, with a mere 152 speakers, 100 exhibitors and 2,000 international delegates witnessing around 32,000 attendees, IMC has seen tremendous growth in the last eight years. Last year, the forum played host to over 1.50 lakh visitors, 1,300-plus CXO-level delegates, 400-plus speakers, 230-plus exhibitors, and 400 startups, displaying a total of 620 use cases. It saw participation from over 67 countries.
IMC 2024 is bigger and better, spotlighting over 400 exhibitors, nearly 900 startups, and participation from 120+ countries. It will showcase more than 900 technology use-case scenarios, and feature talks by more than 600 international and Indian speakers and around 7,500 international delegates. It will also include participation from over 13 ministries, highlighting the comprehensive governmental support and involvement in shaping the future of technology and innovation.
Aspire – IMC Startup Program
With the second edition of ‘Aspire,’ a pioneering startup program, IMC aims to facilitate more than 500 one-to-one meetings and interactions between startups and over 1,000 potential investors, angels, incubators, and VC funds.This initiative provides a unique opportunity for startups to connect directly with key stakeholders, gaining insights and support that can accelerate their growth.
For IMC 2024, Aspire has partnered with organizations like Telecom Centres of Excellence India (TCOE), Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC), and TiE Delhi-NCR, ensuring a broad spectrum of engagement across various sectors.The event will also witness the 5G & 6G Hackathon by WTSA and TCOE and the second edition of STPI LEAP AHEAD.
Aspire will offer dedicated networking zones with 40-50 industry mentors, allowing startup founders to receive personalized feedback and expert advice. In addition, five Master Class sessions covering topics such as AI, cloud technology, and security will provide in-depth learning opportunities. Live pitch sessions featuring 21 high-potential startups will further enhance visibility for emerging companies, providing a platform to present their ideas to investors.
Concurrence with ITU-WTSA
The India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024 is happening concurrently with the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) 2024, which occurs every four years to “define the work program, working methods, and structure of study groups” for the ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). This presents a unique opportunity for India to significantly shape thought leadership and drive the evolution of future technologies.The WTSA-24 forum is expected to witness over 1,800 delegates from 193-member countries, global standardization bodies, and the telecom/ICT industry.
Side Events at IMC 2024
IMC 2024 will also feature a series of dynamic side events and summits, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and experts to discuss cutting-edge technologies and their impact on global digital transformation. These include AI for Good Summit, International 6G Symposium, Semiconductor Round Table, Electronics Manufacturing Round Table, Satellite Communication, Security Summit, Quantum Summit, Spectrum Summit, Global Regulatory Conference, CleanTech Summit, Smart Mobility, Broadcasting Summit, Workshop with Academicians of 5G Test Labs, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit, FinTech Summit, and so on. These events will provide attendees with rich networking opportunities and valuable insights into the future of technology across various industries.
Ramakrishna P., CEO, India Mobile Congress says, “India has undergone a remarkable digital transformation over the past decade and India Mobile Congress has evolved in step with the same over the seven editions since its inception in 2017. This time IMC is set to be bigger and better with the global participation nearly doubling from last year. We are seeing increased engagement from countries like UK, Japan, Sweden, Finland and others in the upcoming edition.With the focus on this year’s theme ‘Future is Now’, we will witness discussions highlighting subjects like Quantum technology and Circular Economy along with spotlight on 6G, 5G use-case showcase, cloud & edge computing, IoT, semiconductors, cybersecurity, green tech, satcom and electronics manufacturing. IMC 2024 happening concurrently with ITU-WTSA, also presents a golden opportunity for India to shape thought leadership and drive the future of technology on a global scale.”
