India Mobile Congress 2026 opens in New Delhi: dates, agenda and visit-planning guide

India Mobile Congress 2026: the short answer

India Mobile Congress 2026 is scheduled to run from Wednesday, 7 October, to Saturday, 10 October, at Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre), New Delhi. For visitors deciding whether to go, the most important access point is not the headline alone: the free Visitor and Student passes have restricted entry, while the paid delegate passes carry different benefits. The official programme also warns that its session schedule can change.

The event’s 10th edition uses the theme “Scale Without Boundaries.” It is being organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), according to the Ministry of Communications. Its published focus is broader than a mobile-device showcase: the agenda spans telecom networks, AI, cloud and edge computing, satellite communications, cybersecurity, chips, quantum technology, digital infrastructure and policy dialogue.

This is a forward-looking attendee guide checked on 30 September, more than a week before the opening date. It separates published facts from plans that can still move, and it is not a promise of entry, a final session plan or a recommendation to buy a pass. Use the organiser’s registration and conference pages for the final decision before travelling.

When and where is India Mobile Congress 2026?

Confirmed: IMC 2026 is scheduled for 7–10 October 2026 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. The organiser’s homepage, its registration page and the government announcement agree on those core facts. KPMG in India, which identifies itself as the event’s knowledge partner, independently lists the same dates, location and theme.

The venue is Yashobhoomi, also called the India International Convention & Expo Centre, in Dwarka. The organiser’s site offers direction links from Central Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Aerocity. Those links are useful starting points rather than a substitute for checking live road or Metro conditions on the day. Allow extra time for a large venue, security procedures and the possibility that the entrance associated with a particular programme may differ from the general approach.

Not yet safe to treat as fixed: a personal hour-by-hour plan. The official conference page says timings are displayed in IST and that the schedule is subject to change. It publishes track filters and time slots, but a reader should re-check the selected sessions, room and access terms shortly before departure rather than relying on an early saved itinerary.

What is on the agenda at India Mobile Congress 2026?

The published agenda is organised around four pillars. Srishti covers building the future through areas such as 6G, AI-native telecom, intelligent RAN, edge and cloud, quantum communications and semiconductors. Samvardhan is framed around scaling growth, including 5G use cases, satcom, digital infrastructure, telecom manufacturing, industrial automation, network APIs and enterprise transformation.

Sashakt addresses opportunity and access, with topics including green telecom, e-waste, sustainable infrastructure and social impact. Suraksha focuses on trusted systems: cybersecurity, responsible AI and AI governance, spam and consumer protection, spectrum and regulation, data privacy, Zero Trust, critical-infrastructure protection and network resilience. These labels describe announced themes, not a guarantee that every topic will appear in every session.

The organiser and KPMG list a Global Telecom Leadership programme, International 6G Symposium, Satcom Summit, Cybersecurity Summit, Viksit Tech 47, Startup World Cup, Quantum Summit, leadership roundtables and Smart Mobility Summit. The government says the event will also provide a platform for technology demonstrations, product launches, collaboration, investment-related conversations, knowledge exchange and policy dialogue. For readers tracking the chip strand, Reddy News has reported on SEMICON India 2026 and commercial production; IMC’s semiconductor discussions are an announced conference focus, not an update to that separate report.

A useful way to narrow a visit is to choose one practical question before registering: an operator or enterprise may prioritise network architecture, spectrum, cloud or cybersecurity; a founder may look for the startup and investor ecosystem; a student may prefer demonstrations and sessions aligned with a course. The official site says the conference brings together policymakers, enterprises, startups, investors, academia and innovators, but it does not make a one-to-one meeting, pitch slot or specific speaker appearance a published entitlement.

Which pass should visitors, students and delegates check?

Confirmed free options: the official registration page lists both a Visitor Pass and a Student Pass at no charge. Each lists exhibition access and conference access subject to availability. Crucially, neither is advertised as full-event admission: entry begins from 2 pm on Day 2, while Days 3 and 4 have full-day access. The pass wording says “limited event access,” so readers should not assume free entry on 7 October or priority seating at a conference session.

Confirmed paid options: the page lists a Gold Delegate pass at ₹20,000 and a Platinum Delegate pass at ₹25,000. Gold’s published inclusions include exhibition access, priority conference seating and venue registration, a delegate kit, lunch in the delegate dining area, prime inauguration seating and IMC Awards access. Platinum adds priority inauguration seating, a Platinum networking lounge, a Platinum dining area, a guided tour and full-event access among its listed benefits. Compare the current booking page, rather than treating this summary as a transaction screen.

A Media Pass is listed as approval-based, not as automatic access. The organiser lists media lounge, lunch, awards, exhibition and conference access among its features. Anyone seeking media credentials should use the official route and wait for approval; this guide cannot verify an individual application. If your interest is telecom policy, Reddy News’ coverage of TRAI’s anti-spam rules and the voice-and-SMS-only voucher amendment offers related context, but neither article changes IMC’s pass terms.

How should you plan a visit to Yashobhoomi?

Start with the official registration page and save the confirmation details supplied through that route. Then use the organiser’s visit page and mapping links to compare the journey from your actual starting point. The homepage provides directions from Central Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Aerocity; it does not publish a universal travel-time guarantee. Check the final event schedule in IST, identify the session or exhibition area you actually want to visit, and build in time for arrival procedures.

For an overnight stay, the organiser names Abovo Events & Hospitality as its official accommodation partner and shows several hotel options. The same page says accommodation listings are independently operated and that rates, availability, bookings and transactions remain matters for the relevant provider. It also says rooms are subject to availability. Treat displayed hotel prices and distances as time-sensitive information, verify the total and cancellation conditions directly, and use official channels rather than unverified messages claiming to arrange event accommodation.

International participants should review their own travel and entry requirements through official government channels well before departure. The IMC visit page notes that October is a transition to the drier season in Delhi and provides general travel information, but it is not a live weather, air-quality or transport forecast. Re-check those operational conditions shortly before travel. Carry only what the event’s current rules require; this article does not set a venue-entry or document policy.

What is confirmed, and what should attendees re-check?

Confirmed as of 30 September: the dates, Yashobhoomi venue, “Scale Without Boundaries” theme, DoT–COAI organisation, core technology strands and named programme formats are published by the organiser and corroborated by the Ministry of Communications. The registration page also sets out the currently listed pass categories, prices and the free-pass limits. The government describes IMC as a platform intended to convene technology companies, operators, policymakers, startups, investors, researchers and innovators.

Expected but subject to change: session timing, room allocation, speaker line-up, availability of conference seating under free passes, and practical on-the-day procedures. The organiser expressly says the conference schedule is subject to change. “Expected” here means a reasonable planning point based on published material, not a confirmed promise. Do not make a non-refundable travel decision solely around an individual session until it is still listed close to the event.

For technology context, readers can also compare India’s infrastructure conversation with Reddy News’ report on the Microsoft Hyderabad cloud region and the practical developer issues in the OpenAI Agents API public beta. These are background links, not official IMC programming, sponsorship or attendance information.

FAQs about India Mobile Congress 2026

Is 7 October open to free Visitor and Student pass holders? The published terms do not say so. They state entry from 2 pm on Day 2 and full-day access on Days 3 and 4. Check the registration page again before travelling if Day 1 access matters to you.

Can a free pass guarantee a conference seat? No. The organiser labels conference access for Visitor and Student passes as subject to availability. Plan for exhibition access and keep a second-choice session or activity in mind.

Is the schedule in Indian time? Yes. The conference page says all displayed timings are in IST. It also says the schedule is subject to change, so use it as a live planning tool rather than a permanent timetable.

Who is behind IMC 2026? The Ministry of Communications says it is organised by DoT and COAI. The programme includes industry, government, startup, investor, research and academic participation, but a published participant category is not proof that every organisation or individual will attend.

Sources and reporting note

This preview was checked against the official India Mobile Congress homepage, registration, conference and visit-planning pages; the Ministry of Communications release dated 29 July 2026; and KPMG in India’s event page. Those sources agree on the 7–10 October dates and Yashobhoomi venue. The organiser’s own pages are the authority for current pass listings and schedule notices; KPMG provides independent corroboration of the core event details.

The source check was completed on 30 September 2026 at 05:30 IST. It treats the event as upcoming and makes no claim that a published agenda will be unchanged, that a pass assures entry to a particular session, or that a listed hotel rate will remain available. This is factual event reporting and reader-service guidance, not travel, financial, legal, investment or procurement advice. The visible FAQs are editorial content and are not marked up as FAQPage schema.