India Aims 100 Crore 5G Users by 2030, First TMZ in Gwalior
India is experiencing a pivotal moment as technology generates possibilities for all citizens and fosters change, stated Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, noting that the nation aims to connect 100 crore individuals to 5G by 2030 after linking nearly 50 crore users in only two-and-a-half years.
The minister further announced that India’s inaugural telecom manufacturing zone (TMZ) will be established in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
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“You all heard about SEZs...now the world will hear about a TMZ - an ecosystem only for the telecom sector, for data centres, for chip manufacturers, where we are putting in place a full plug-and-play system between the government of Madhya Pradesh and the government of India,” Scindia said at an event on India Mobile Congress 2026 theme launch.
Scindia noted that when technology is accessible to all citizens, it generates opportunity, and when opportunity is available to every citizen, transformation becomes unavoidable.
He noted that India has now arrived at that pivotal moment.
“Mobile phones are today in the hands of 1.33 billion people, and data prices have fallen from Rs 287 per GB to around Rs 8 per GB. That is democratisation...As we lay the foundation stone of the next chapter, we must examine how innovations, technology and ideas from India can cross borders and go across the world,” Scindia says.
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The minister stated that the results of technology are optimal when it reaches all citizens and provides them with advantages.
“Today, India has capabilities in the technologies we build, the standards we shape and the solutions we provide for the world,” Scindia adds.
He stated that the impact of India's telecom revolution is so significant that 5G has reached nearly 50 crore individuals in just two and a half years.
“...in India, between the government and yourselves (industry), did that in a record time of two and a half years. Rs 4,50,000 crore of capex, close to about 5,00,000 towers built out, and today 50 crore people connected. By 2030, we will connect 100 crore people on 5G,” he says.
The minister claimed that with 6G, India will merge the physical, digital, and intelligence into a unified ecosystem. Chandrasekhar Pemmasani, the Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, highlighted that India introduced its own 4G technology, achieving quality standards nearly 90 percent comparable to established global competitors.
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He also stated that the government is dedicated to transforming the final decade of Digital India into the upcoming decade of Intelligent India—whether it's 6G, quantum communications, artificial intelligence, satellites, or emerging technologies.
Scindia revealed ‘Scale Without Boundaries’ as the theme for the tenth installment of India Mobile Congress. Held by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the forthcoming IMC is projected to draw more than 1.5 lakh participants, include over 300 exhibitors and partners from more than 100 nations, and display over 1,500 technology applications.
The IMC of this year - the grand event is promoted as Asia’s biggest digital technology exhibition - is set to take place from October 7-10, 2026, at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi. IMC 2026 will present advancements in connectivity (5G and 6G), Artificial Intelligence, Semiconductors, Electronics Manufacturing, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity, Satellite Communications, DeepTech, CleanTech, Industry 4.0, and Enterprise Transformation, as well as new emerging sectors like Smart Mobility, Stadium Experiences, Industrial Automation, and Transport Technology.
The gathering will unite governments, industry executives, startups, investors, scholars, and technology innovators to hasten digital transformation and develop reliable, scalable digital ecosystems.