India Mobile Congress 2026: From Smartphones to Wearables and Semiconductors

From 7 to 10 October, India hosted the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) in New Delhi. As in previous years, the event reflected a gradual shift away from smartphones to a broader set of technology products. At the 2025 event, Samsung was the only major smartphone-maker to maintain a dedicated booth. This year, even Samsung was absent.

With the Indian government actively promoting Make in India, the event’s themes focused on semiconductor manufacturing, AI and 5G strategies, paving the way for 6G technology. India’s communications minister outlined his vision of doubling the number of 5G users in the country from 550 million to 1 billion by 2030, while leading telecom operators seek to realize the benefits of expanded 5G infrastructure.

Qualcomm and MediaTek Compete for Flagship Chipset Offering

Despite the limited presence of smartphone companies, chipsets remained an important part of the event. Qualcomm showcased its latest flagship processors — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 — which were launched in the US in September. Unlike in 2025 when Qualcomm hosted a separate launch event, IMC 2026 was the platform for its chipset announcement. Devices including the iQOO 16, Motorola Signature 27 and Xiaomi 18 Pro will each launch in 4Q26 featuring the new Snapdragon chips.

In contrast, MediaTek was missing from the event. Having launched its flagship Dimensity 9500 chipsets at IMC 2025, this year the company held a separate event two days before IMC to unveil the Dimensity 9600 Pro and Dimensity 9600M chips. Oppo’s Find X10 Pro Max is expected to be among the first smartphones to use the Dimensity 9600 Pro.

As AI becomes increasingly important in smartphones, chipset-makers are competing aggressively in their support for on-device AI capabilities, as well as cameras, gaming and performance. Qualcomm has historically dominated the premium segment, and MediaTek remains popular for mid-range devices. However, MediaTek’s continued push into the flagship segment is intensifying its competition with Qualcomm. Moreover, amid the ongoing memory crisis, both suppliers raised chipset prices by between 8% and 18% in 3Q26, putting further pressure on smartphone-makers to cut costs, including by making trade-offs in chipsets.

Jio Smart Glasses Have Potential, but Pricing Will Be Critical to Success

Wearables were another area of interest at IMC 2026. Reliance Jio showcased its smart glasses, Jio Frames, in two variants: audio-only and camera-equipped glasses. Both will support multiple Indian languages. The camera version will also support UPI payments, similar to smart glasses from Meta and LensKart.

This isn’t the first time Jio has presented its smart glasses, but the company has yet to bring the products to market. Pricing and launch details remain under wraps, but FDM CCS Insight expects Jio Frames to be priced at under 5,000 rupees ($53) for audio-only and under 10,000 rupees ($105) with camera, launching in the end of 2026 or early 2027. This would be a fraction of the cost of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, making them more accessible to Indian consumers.

The smart glasses category is still at an early stage, leaving room for new entrants to build awareness and stimulate demand. However, we remain cautious about camera-equipped smart glasses. They’re already facing criticism in Western markets, raising concerns that people can record others without their knowledge or consent. Jio will need to address these concerns with privacy safeguards and clear indicators denoting when the camera is in use.

Jio also showcased AI-enabled earbuds. As the wireless audio market is already well established, with strong competition from boAt and Noise, Jio needs to offer an attractive proposition. Without clear differentiation, the device will struggle to stand out.

Satellite Connectivity Remains a Key Focus for Telecom Operators

As telecom operators continue to develop satellite connectivity initiatives, Reliance Jio highlighted its plans to install 1,600 satellites with 23 ground stations throughout the country, connecting up to 600,000 villages and creating new enterprise opportunities. Airtel also announced plans to launch satellite services using Eutelsat OneWeb. Jio and Airtel are joined by Starlink in securing satellite communications licences for the Indian market, but all three are awaiting regulatory clearance for a commercial launch.

Make in India Gains Momentum, but Transition to the Next Phase Will Take Time

Strengthening domestic manufacturing was again a central theme at IMC, aligned with the Make in India initiative. In August 2026, the Indian government launched its Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme, which will run until 2031. With an investment of 625 billion rupees ($65 million), the scheme will support Indian smartphone brands that design products and source components in India rather than elsewhere.

Among the companies seeking to benefit from the scheme are Indian brand Lava, which also served as IMC’s title sponsor, and Nothing’s sub-brand, CMF, which was spun off as an Indian company to seize the investment opportunity. We expect more companies to join this bandwagon, especially as rising memory costs make it difficult to offer competitive devices in the sub-$200 segment. However, to capture a greater share of the value generated by smartphone manufacturing, India must deepen its local supply chain for components and strengthen its design and research capabilities.

India will also play an increasingly important role in Apple’s global manufacturing strategy. We expect the country to account for one-third of global iPhone assembly by 2028. As manufacturers continue to diversify production away from China, India is positioned as a hub for “China plus one” strategies. With incentives linked to production and expanding manufacturing capacity, India continues to strengthen its position.

The country has made progress in electronics manufacturing, but building semiconductor capabilities is a long-term undertaking. It requires deeper ecosystem integration, technical expertise and supply-chain development, and that won’t develop overnight.

Overall, IMC 2026 highlighted how India’s mobile industry is evolving beyond smartphones. The challenge now is to translate these ambitions into commercially successful products and a deeper supply chain for local technology.