Affordability of devices, services central to digital inclusion: Scindia

Barcelona, Mar 4: The Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, led India’s engagements at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, with high-level participation at the GSMA Ministerial Programme and the MWC Main Stage, outlining India’s vision for affordable, inclusive and future-ready digital connectivity.
Scindia delivered the Closing Keynote address at the Ministerial Stage during the session themed “Breaking the Cost Barrier.” The session focused on addressing affordability challenges that continue to exclude 3.1 billion people globally from meaningful digital participation.
Emphasising the urgency of bridging the usage gap, the Minister underscored that affordability of devices and services remains central to digital inclusion.
“Connectivity must become universally affordable if it is to be truly transformative. The challenge before us is not the absence of technology, but the cost barriers that prevent billions from participating in the digital economy,” the Union Minister stated.
Highlighting India’s experience in driving down data costs through policy reform, competition and scale, he added, “India’s digital journey demonstrates that scale, innovation and stable policy frameworks can dramatically reduce costs. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that next-generation connectivity — from 5G to emerging 6G ecosystems — remains affordable, inclusive and scalable.”
Scindia called for a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, industry, financial institutions and global bodies to enable device affordability, innovative financing models and sustainable digital ecosystems.
Later in the day, Union Minister Shri Scindia addressed the MWC Main Stage in the keynote session titled “Built for What’s Next.” The address focused on the evolution of networks into intelligent, adaptive and human-centric platforms powered by AI, cloud-native technologies and next-generation infrastructure.
The Union Minister underscored the evolution of connectivity from being merely a tool for access to becoming a powerful engine of opportunity, driving innovation, economic growth and social empowerment.
“We are moving into an era where networks are intelligent, autonomous and anticipatory. AI-driven systems, cloud-native architectures and secure digital ecosystems are redefining how citizens experience connectivity and how enterprises innovate,” he remarked.
He further noted: “The future of connectivity lies not only in faster speeds, but in frictionless digital experiences, resilient infrastructure and sustainable growth. Technology must empower individuals, strengthen businesses and enable societies to thrive.”
The address reaffirmed India’s commitment to building secure, trusted and globally competitive digital infrastructure.
Another highlight was the inauguration of the Bharat Pavilion, showcasing India’s expanding telecom manufacturing capabilities and innovation ecosystem. This year, 40 Indian companies and innovators are participating at MWC under the Pavilion.
The Pavilion brought together leading Indian companies demonstrating solutions across 4G and 5G radio networks, optical transport systems, IP/MPLS routing, broadband access, satellite communications, AI-driven network management, IoT applications, semiconductor-enabled hardware and next-generation data centre and cloud infrastructure.
The Pavilion reflects India’s emergence as a design-led manufacturing hub and a trusted global partner in cost-effective and secure connectivity solutions.
The Union Minister also unveiled the Curtain Raiser for India Mobile Congress 2026 at the GSMA Insights Hub. He announced that IMC 2026 will be held from 7th–10th October 2026 at New Delhi, further strengthening India’s role as a global platform for collaboration in advanced telecommunications, AI-powered networks and emerging digital technologies.
During his visit to booth of Tejas Networks, the Minister launched the TJ1600-D3 Hyper-scalable DCI Platform — a significant milestone in advanced optical networking solutions engineered in India. The launch underscored India’s growing capabilities in high-capacity data centre interconnect technologies.
The Union Minister had a chance to meet and interact with ITU Secretary General Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin during his visit in MWC arena. The ITU SG congratulated Minister for his participation in GSMA ministerial programs and presenting the India’s vibrant Telecom ecosystem and digital transformational journey at the Global Stage.
The Minister held bilateral meetings with Eutelsat and Viasat to understand the measures for advancing the universal, meaningful and resilient connectivity frameworks for India. Both companies appreciated the vision of Minister for the provision of secure, high-speed and universal and meaningful connectivity initiatives across India.
Scindia also interacted with representatives of the Bharti Group, led by Sunil Bharti Mittal, reinforcing the strong synergy between Government and industry in advancing India’s digital ambitions.
Scindia also undertook focused booth visits to leading global technology companies and interacted with their leadership teams. At Meta, he was briefed on AI-enabled wearable and neural interface technologies and experienced the Meta Ray-Ban Display. He also tested the “Conversation Focus” feature of the glasses — a critical accessibility function that isolates the voice of the person one is facing in noisy or crowded environments.
At Rakuten, he witnessed software-defined, AI-native network architectures for scalable 5G deployment and also met the CEO, Hiroshi Mikitani. At VVDN Technologies, he witnessed indigenously developed AI-driven Wi-Fi and network solutions.
At Ericsson, the Union Minister was joined by the Chairman of the Ericsson Board, Jan Karlsson, as he observed demonstrations on advanced network technologies and emerging 6G capabilities. Three key demonstrations were showcased: a 6G data call on cmWave, experiential 6G demonstrations, and new radio solutions tailored specifically to India’s requirements.
During his visit to Nokia, the Minister experienced generative AI-enabled edge applications and immersive 6G use cases. He also held a detailed discussion with the President and CEO of Nokia, Justin Hotard, at the Nokia booth.
At the Intel booth, Scindia witnessed AI-optimised virtual RAN solutions powered by next-generation processors.
The visit to Cisco included demonstrations of AI-powered edge computing and network automation, while at Qualcomm, he was briefed on AI-driven RAN automation, advanced 5G modem systems and edge AI platforms.
Earlier, the Union Minister commenced India’s engagements at MWC 2026 with a high-level dinner interaction with global and Indian CEOs on 2nd March 2026. Hosted by India, the dinner provided an opportunity to exchange views on strengthening digital partnerships, accelerating innovation and fostering trusted technology ecosystems.
The engagements at Mobile World Congress 2026 reflect India’s deepening global partnerships in telecommunications and digital innovation, and reaffirm the country’s commitment to building secure, affordable and future-ready connectivity ecosystems for inclusive growth.
The participation of India’s telecom innovators at MWC 2026 is being organised by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC), supported by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India. Mobile World Congress 2026 is being held from March 2–5, 2026 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. Organised by GSMA, MWC 2026 is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile and technology industry, attracting over 109,000 visitors and approximately 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors and partners.
The official theme for MWC 2026 is “The IQ Era”, highlighting the integration of artificial intelligence and connectivity to drive smarter networks, business innovation and societal impact.
Under the ambit of Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) of Government of India, Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) has been set up by the Government of India to promote and develop export of telecom equipment and services.
TEPC, as a Council, plays an important role in furtherance of telecom exports from India and assists its member companies in facilitation of exports. TEPC works with the entire ecosystem of Indian telecom exporters as well as various departments of the Government of India to deliver and create end-to-end telecom solutions.