New GSMA research sets out how AI ready networks, digital trust and global standards can turn India's connectivity scale into its next wave of economic growth

NEW DELHI, Oct. 7, 2026 -- India must transform its world leading mobile connectivity footprint into greater economic value while making trust a foundation of its digital economy, the GSMA said today as it launched three reports at India Mobile Congress 2026.

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With around 1.2 billion active mobile connections and almost 450 million 5G connections, India has delivered connectivity at an unprecedented global scale. The GSMA's new research identifies the next priorities needed to achieve India's digital advancement: AI ready networks, faster enterprise digitisation, greater trust in digital services and open, interoperable global standards for 6G.

"India has demonstrated that it can deliver digital scale. The opportunity now is to turn that scale into innovation, enterprise growth and trusted digital services," said Vivek Badrinath, Director General of the GSMA, during his keynote speech at IMC. "India's next decade will be defined not simply by how many people are connected, but by what they can achieve through that connectivity. Digital trust is not simply a safeguard. It is infrastructure for growth."

Turning digital scale into economic value

The GSMA's India Ecosystem Insight Report: From Mobile Connectivity to Digital Infrastructure calls for India's connectivity reach to be translated into AI ready infrastructure, stronger enterprise productivity and trusted digital services, supported by a sustainable investment environment.

The report identifies three priorities to get there:

  • AI ready networks: India's AI ambitions will require high capacity, secure, resilient and increasingly intelligent networks. AI can also improve network planning, energy efficiency, service assurance, cybersecurity and fraud detection.
  • Enterprise digitisation: Fixed wireless access, private networks, cloud connectivity, network APIs and cybersecurity services can help businesses digitalise and create new opportunities for growth.
  • Digital trust: Secure authentication, fraud prevention and privacy preserving network intelligence will become increasingly important as India's digital economy expands.

Digital trust as a foundation for growth

The GSMA's Digital Nations 2026: Building Trusted Digital Ecosystems in Asia Pacific assessed 22 countries across infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security and people. It identifies four foundations for digital trust: verifiable identities, authentic communications, resilient networks and the responsible sharing of trusted information.

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