I had the opportunity to attend India Mobile Congress 2025 held on 8th-10th October in New Delhi, where I witnessed some of the most prominent technology companies and emerging startups in the telecom and technology space showcasing their innovative solutions aimed at transforming customer experiences and business operations.
India Mobile Congress is getting bigger and better every year, and the latest edition witnessed a footfall of ~150,000 attendees with more than 400 exhibitors and over 800 thought leaders participating from more than 120 countries. The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the event and emphasised the digital path the country is moving along, with a focus on 6G technology, quantum computing, and other semiconductor technologies.
The event hosted a diverse range of home-grown startups and incubators, driven by a vibrant pool of talented entrepreneurs. The continued government push toward building India’s digital economy is supporting businesses to innovate, transform, and create disruptive technologies that benefit both enterprises and end-users alike. I explored a diverse range of booths, ranging from major technology firms to small businesses and emerging startups, and engaged with visionary entrepreneurs to gain deeper insights into their innovative products, services, and future business plans. As expected, AI was the buzzword with its expanding role across industries, and the topic became an essential talking point. It has a key role in network automation and in the development of next-generation telecommunication networks.
There were many innovative solutions showcased at the event. Those profiled below are an illustrative selection of the wide variety on show.
Reliance Jio, one of the MNOs in India, introduced a low-cost (starting from INR799 or USD9) safety-featured mobile device to monitor and track a family member’s whereabouts, which is ideal for elderly people and kids. It has a seven-day battery life and features parental controls to restrict spammers and unwanted callers.
Companies are increasingly committing to developing products in India, to provide transformative connected solutions and harness the benefits of a large consumer base. For instance, Ericsson, in partnership with the World Food Programme, developed a 5G-based Grain ATM machine that uses Aadhar-based biometrics (Aadhar is a unique identification number for Indian residents) and 5G connectivity to dispense various types of grains quickly and is available 24/7.
A home-grown company developed a connected inventory solution called Smart Live Inventory Management (SLIM), an AI-enabled product that offers real-time inventory insights and determines inventory trends, based on historical data. The solution is being used in manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, retail and e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, and automotive.
Multiple indigenous drone companies are emerging focussing on solutions for enterprises and defence applications. Some of them have laid out plans to incorporate satellite as a backup network technology in areas where cellular connection is lost. Moreover, companies are developing different types of drones, targeting different use-cases and customers, spanning across logistics for inventory management and military for border surveillance. One of the interesting drone companies I met was focused on defence applications with various drone variants. One of these was a 5G-based mission critical drone, that can fly for 10kms and can attain a maximum speed of 60Kmph, which can be used for border surveillance and in search and rescue operations.
The recent edition of India Mobile Congress 2025 demonstrated many promising and potential solutions that could redefine the Indian economy by reaping the benefits of rising 5G penetration and underscored the importance of integrating AI into offerings. Companies spanning many industries are looking to benefit from strong government support, particularly the Make-in-India initiative to develop, manufacture, and assemble products in India and also support for easing regulations to foster the digital economy.
