Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, October 8, 2026, used the stage of IMC 2026, the 10th India Mobile Congress in New Delhi, to call for a global framework against cyber fraud and deepfakes. Speaking at the inaugural session at Yashobhoomi, he said digital crime no longer respects national borders and urged governments, technology companies, telecom operators and banks to work together to stop scams before they reach ordinary users.
The appeal comes at a time when phone-based fraud, fake investment apps and AI-generated videos of public figures have become a daily worry for millions of Indian mobile users.
What PM Modi said
The Prime Minister described cyber fraud and deepfakes as among the biggest challenges of the digital age. He pointed out that a person in one country, helped by someone in another, can commit a crime against a victim in a third, which makes purely national responses inadequate.
Addressing the GSMA, the global body of mobile operators, and telecom companies from around the world, he said: "Come, let us create a global mechanism that can stop such fraud before it reaches the people." He added that India has learnt a great deal from its own experience in tackling digital fraud and is ready to share that knowledge with other countries.
"Technology achieves scale only when it gains trust," he said, arguing that the next phase of digital growth depends as much on safety as on speed.
Mobile phones as a governance tool
Looking back at the last decade, Modi said the mobile phone has become an important tool of good governance and is central to the Digital India vision. He credited cheaper data, wider network coverage and the growth of domestic smartphone manufacturing for bringing digital services to people who were earlier left out.
He said nearly Rs 50 lakh crore has been sent through Direct Benefit Transfer to beneficiaries' mobile-linked bank accounts, and that nearly Rs 5 lakh crore has been saved from going into the wrong hands. He also said India has moved from being a consumer of telecom technology to a creator, and is now working to own technology and intellectual property.
India Mobile Congress 2026 at a glance
| Event | India Mobile Congress 2026 (10th edition) |
| Dates | October 7 to 10, 2026 |
| Venue | Yashobhoomi, New Delhi |
| Organisers | Department of Telecommunications and COAI |
| Theme | Scale Without Boundaries |
| Key focus areas | 5G and 6G, AI networks, semiconductors, cybersecurity, satellite communication |
| PM's main message | Global mechanism against cyber fraud and deepfakes |
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and industry leaders including Sunil Bharti Mittal, Akash Ambani and Kumar Mangalam Birla were present at the inaugural session. Organisers have said the four-day event brings together hundreds of exhibitors and startups, with 6G, AI-driven networks and satellite internet among the most-watched themes.
What it means for mobile users in India
For the average smartphone user, the Prime Minister's message is a signal that fraud prevention is moving higher up the policy agenda. Many scams that target Indians, from fake KYC calls to "digital arrest" threats and investment frauds, are run from call centres abroad, which makes them hard for any one country to stop.
A global mechanism of the kind Modi described would mean telecom operators, payment companies and platforms sharing information faster across borders so that suspicious numbers, links and accounts can be blocked earlier. Deepfakes, meanwhile, are increasingly used to impersonate celebrities, politicians and even family members, and the Prime Minister's mention of them suggests that AI-generated content will remain a priority area for regulation.
Simple steps to protect yourself
- Never share OTPs, PINs or passwords on calls or messages, even if the caller claims to be from a bank or government office.
- Be suspicious of videos in which a well-known person promotes an investment scheme or asks for money; deepfakes can look very real.
- Report fraud quickly on the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or the cybercrime.gov.in portal.
- Use the government's Sanchar Saathi portal to check mobile connections registered in your name and report suspected fraud communication.
What happens next
The India Mobile Congress continues until October 10, with sessions on 6G, AI, chips and satellite connectivity. Industry watchers will be looking for concrete follow-ups from telecom operators and the GSMA on the Prime Minister's proposal, and for any new steps from the Department of Telecommunications on spam and fraud control in the months ahead.
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