IMC 2025 explores data protection, AI ethics, and India–UK telecom partnerships

As the 9th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 entered its third day, the focus turned squarely toward artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and global collaboration. Asia’s largest telecom, media, and technology forum continued to spotlight India’s growing influence in the digital and telecom landscape, and its ambition to lead the next phase of connected innovation.

Jointly organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), IMC 2025, inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been a platform for global leaders, policymakers, and technology innovators to showcase future-driven solutions reshaping India’s digital ecosystem.

Securing the future: cybersecurity takes centre stage

Reflecting this year’s theme, ‘Innovate to Transform’, Day 3 began with the inauguration of the Cybersecurity Summit, where national and international experts discussed the challenges of protecting India’s expanding digital economy.

The session on UK–India Collaboration in Future Telecoms explored how international partnerships can accelerate research, 6G innovation, and digital infrastructure. The day also celebrated innovation through the IMC Awards 2025, recognising exceptional contributions across telecom, enterprise technology, and digital transformation. Meanwhile, the Startup World Cup India 2025 offered young innovators a platform to showcase breakthrough ideas and gain global exposure.

AI, data protection, and security - shaping the connected future

The day’s sessions captured the multi-dimensional challenges and opportunities facing India’s technology ecosystem. Panel discussions explored topics such as:

• Privacy and Protection at the Edge: Operationalising India’s Data Protection Act
  

• The Rise of Autonomous Networks: Intelligent, Adaptive, Secure
  

• AI in Telecom for Social and Economic Impact
  

• AI Cyber Nexus: Securing a Future Powered by Artificial Intelligence
  

• Building Bharat’s Future with Applied AI in Telecom
  

From regulatory frameworks to infrastructure and ethical deployment, the discourse reflected India’s determination to create a secure, inclusive, and AI-powered digital economy.

Industry voices: from policy to practice

Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, TRAI, said that telecom networks are now increasingly dependent on AI for operational efficiency. “AI systems analyse real-time data to predict faults and schedule maintenance proactively. This prevents outages and ensures seamless service delivery. The same intelligence is being used to detect fraud, stop spam, and strengthen network resilience,” he noted.

Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, emphasised India’s AI ambition. “We are all geared up to have our first AI foundational model by the end of this year. Sector-specific AI models will drive productivity and efficiency. AI will not replace people; it will subtract friction from the system,” he said, underlining India’s goal to be a developed nation by 2047.

Navin Kumar Singh, National Cybersecurity Coordinator, NSCS, urged that robust cyber defences must be built into every layer of the telecom infrastructure. “Security and sovereignty can no longer be optional. Even a single vulnerability can compromise billions of users,” he warned, stressing that the future of connectivity lies as much in safety as in speed.

Building digital trust through collaboration

Lt. Gen. Dr S.P. Kochhar, DG, COAI, pointed to the human side of cybersecurity. “The biggest threat is not technology, it’s our own behaviour. People fall prey to scams due to a lack of awareness. We must coordinate, cooperate, and standardise to create an ecosystem that scamsters can’t penetrate,” he said.

Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific, GSMA, echoed similar concerns. “Scams are borderless, eroding digital trust. Collaboration between telecom operators, banks, and governments, powered by data-sharing and regulatory flexibility, will be critical to detect and mitigate these threats early,” he said.

From industry to academia, the call for collaboration was clear. Dr Amitava Ghosh, NextG Alliance, USA, said, “We are deeply interested in India’s 6G journey. Collaboration between India and North America across shared verticals is key to global 6G success.”

The convergence of AI and network resilience

Magnus Ewerbring, CTO, APAC, Ericsson, noted that AI is fast becoming the backbone of telecom security. “AI now helps us qualify suppliers, secure implementations, and detect anomalies. It’s central to how we develop, deploy, and operate networks,” he said, adding that Ericsson continues to invest in global standardisation for secure AI integration.

Rahul Vatts, Chief Regulatory Officer, Airtel, highlighted India’s evolving API framework. “We are already creating proofs of concept with banks to enhance fraud prevention through APIs that detect SIM or device swaps,” he said.

Ambika Khurana, CRO, Vodafone India, said privacy and consent must remain at the forefront of India’s digital future. “We are collaborating with TRAI, RBI, and banks to streamline consent mechanisms and secure privacy frameworks that empower users,” she said.

Vivek Srivastava, Country Manager, Fortinet India, added, “Cybersecurity must now be seen as a team sport. India’s digital future will depend on how well we collaborate across public and private sectors to ensure resilience.”

India–UK collaboration in future telecoms

The UK–India Future Telecoms Collaboration panel underscored how bilateral research, co-innovation, and cross-border investment can help accelerate the development of secure, AI-powered networks. Experts from both nations agreed that 6G innovation and cyber policy cooperation could define the next chapter of global telecom evolution.

IMC 2025: driving digital resilience through collaboration

As the discussions closed, one theme echoed across the sessions: innovation without security is incomplete. AI, data protection, and global collaboration are no longer independent tracks but intertwined pillars of India’s digital strategy.

IMC 2025 continues to reaffirm India’s position as a driving force in the global telecom and technology dialogue, one that values innovation, collaboration, and security in equal measure.

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