6G, AI-native networks take centre stage at India Mobile Congress 2026

Telecom operators and network makers showcase AI-led automation, intelligent RAN and 6G technologies as India seeks a larger role in next-generation mobile standards

6G and AI-native networks are among the main areas of focus at India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, with telecom operators and network equipment makers showcasing technologies for automated network management, AI workloads and new connectivity applications.

 

The 10th edition of IMC, being held in New Delhi from October 7 to 10, covers 5G and 6G and next-generation AI networks as two of its key sectors. The event also includes the third International 6G Symposium, with sessions covering AI-native networks, intelligent radio access networks (RAN), autonomous networks and 6G technology development.

Jio brings AI into the network

Reliance Jio is showcasing AI-based network technologies and connectivity solutions at IMC, alongside its work on next-generation telecom technologies.

 

Jio's Reliance Industries showcase describes its approach as putting AI directly into the network. Its Jio Call Agent demonstration brings a native AI voice agent into the Jio network, allowing customers to access the service during a phone call without a separate application. The company says the system is designed to work across Indian languages and operates with user consent.

Jio is also demonstrating AI-native network management, along with technologies for satellite connectivity and future mobile networks.

 

The company has separately said it is working on an indigenous satellite technology stack and has filed patents in the pre-6G space. Jio is also working on AI-based voice and data services as part of its next-generation network efforts.

Airtel focuses on network intelligence

Bharti Airtel is showcasing network intelligence, cloud and security infrastructure at IMC.

 

Airtel Business launched IQ Gateway ahead of the event. The platform brings SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and business voice communications onto a single control plane and uses network-level information for delivery reporting, authentication and fraud protection.

 

One of its features, Silent Authentication, uses network and SIM information to verify that a phone number matches the active SIM in a device, replacing OTP-based verification in supported login and SIM-binding flows. Airtel is demonstrating the platform at its IMC booth.

 

Sharat Sinha, CEO, Airtel Business, said, "By embedding trust at the network layer, we are enabling our enterprise customers, especially banks, government departments and logistics firms, to reduce cybercrime losses and strengthen the credibility of every customer interaction.”

 

Airtel is also participating in discussions on the foundations of 6G and zero-touch networks. Its wider IMC showcase includes sovereign cloud infrastructure, AI-based security operations and the use of AI to manage energy consumption in data centres.

Vi showcases AI applications

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is showcasing AI applications and intelligent connectivity solutions at IMC.

 

The operator's demonstrations cover AI-based customer services, enterprise applications, private 5G, edge computing and connected mobility. Its industrial use cases include mining, where private 5G and edge computing are combined with AI analytics.

 

Vi is also demonstrating AI-based security operations and solutions using AI and IoT for agriculture.

 

The company's showcase is part of a broader focus on bringing AI into telecom services and enterprise networks rather than limiting it to consumer applications.

Ericsson shows AI-native RAN and 6G

Ericsson is demonstrating AI-enabled RAN, agentic AI and network automation at its IMC booth.

 

Its AI network showcase includes AI-powered RAN architecture for traffic management and positioning, while agentic AI is being used to automate decision-making in network operations. The company is also demonstrating AI-powered rApps for RAN deployment, optimisation, assurance and self-healing.

Ericsson is also showcasing 5G Advanced capabilities including enhanced uplink, lower latency, accurate positioning and dynamic network slicing.

 

Nitin Bansal, MD, Ericsson India, said, "The Ericsson Innovation Challenge is an example of how we are contributing to building the 5G ecosystem in the country. By leveraging 5G and AI as a platform, these innovators are solving challenges pertaining to healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and digital inclusion. At IMC, the winning innovations sit alongside our demonstrations of AI, programmable networks, differentiated connectivity and mission-critical networks, showing how the networks we build today can serve as a platform for what India builds next."

 

Ericsson's 6G section includes a demonstration involving collaborative robots in a warehouse, combining connectivity, sensing, edge computing and AI for navigation and other tasks.

Nokia focuses on AI-ready networks

Nokia is positioning AI as part of the network architecture leading into 6G.

 

The company's mobile core portfolio is moving from cloud-native to AI-native infrastructure, with capabilities including machine learning, large language models, agentic AI and edge inference. Nokia says AI can support predictive operations, anomaly detection, self-healing and intent-driven autonomous operations as networks move towards 5G-Advanced and 6G.

 

At IMC, Nokia is also involved in discussions around 6G standards, intelligent RAN and autonomous networks.

 

India's role in 6G standards is becoming a focus for the government and industry as work on the technology moves towards the standardisation phase. The Bharat 6G Alliance is working on technology, spectrum, use cases and intellectual property, while the government has set a target for India to contribute 10 per cent of global 6G patents.

 

The technologies being demonstrated at IMC 2026 also show that the move towards 6G is already being developed through 5G Advanced and 5G standalone networks. AI-based RAN management, network slicing, edge computing, positioning and network automation are among the capabilities being developed ahead of the next generation of mobile networks.