“Why are you at IMC” and other silly questions.

I’m at IMC (India Mobile Congress) this week and for some people that’s a surprise. To be fair, I didn’t put a banner at the bottom of my emails announcing it and I didn’t weave this fact into conversations. So, when I explain to people why I’m not at any number of other events this week or can’t meet up in the office, I get a broad set of questions. 

Some are understandable. Some aren’t. Many help to explain why I’ve been looking forward to IMC since I made plans to attend earlier in the year. Here are the more common and more interesting ones. (skip to the last one if you want the important part)

• IMC? What’s that? If I spell it out for people (IE, IMC = India Mobile Congress) most people get it. That leaves out key details: 8-11 October, New Delhi, 400+ exhibitors from 120+ countries, 100+ sessions. Still, the full name pretty much gets the job done.

   

• Is it part of the MWC Series? This one is understandable. Sort of. I mean, letters and acronyms are hard. But, no. Both have speakers and exhibits and awards. One is a series of events organized by the GSMA. One is a single event organized by India’s Department of Telecoms and the Cellular Operators Association of India. I really hope I don’t need to explain which is which.

   

• What’s the focus? What’s it all about this year? It’s a telecom and technology show, so you probably know the basics: AI, 5G, 6G, digital transformation, APIs, network transformation and innovation. Of course, it’s also an event in India which means the usage gap is getting attention as the connection between telecom and the Make in India push.

   

• Why are you doing at the show? If you ever wondered what analysts do at trade shows, it’s not a secret: we’re here to engage the market and sell our wares. “Engaging” means meetings where you learn from smart people. “Selling” means conveying insights that drive people to work with you. IMC is no different. It’s also the right place to ask global players how they compete in the Indian market, then ask local players how they plan to scale globally. Add to that sessions I’m running on AI safety, Network APIs and the Indian version of our MWC analyst wrap-up and it’s a busy few days. 

   

• Have you gotten sick yet? I’m not sure why this comes up so often but it does. In any case, it’s a solid “no.” In my multiple trips to India I’ve not gotten sick. I don’t drink from puddles, wash my hands and void hospitals. Pretty much what I do at home. 

   

• Don’t you have a team in Delhi? Did you see them? Nope, I avoided them completely; they don’t even know I’m here. That’s obviously a joke. If it weren’t for the support of the GSMA Intelligence team in Delhi, I’d likely be in a hospital and maybe even drinking from puddles. We also wouldn’t have our infographics on display across the IMC venue.

   

• I’ve never been to Delhi, is it worth it? Any tips? Yes, 100% worth visiting. Mumbai is more cosmopolitan. Bangalore has the tech sector. Goa has the beaches. The Taj Mahal in Agra is one of the few global landmarks which exceeds the hype. Delhi, however, is charming. Sprawling and traffic-ridden, but with plenty of museums, temples and markets to keep you busy. And there’s no shortage of friendly street dogs worth petting (that’s my tip, you’re welcome).

   

• It’s not a short trip from London, how important is it? Okay, nobody actually asked this. But it’s somewhat implied when people act surprised about the size of the event or explain that they didn’t even know it was a thing. A few basic facts clear things up quickly. India is the world’s most populous market. The past decade has seen a massive transformation of the telecom sector. Today, urban areas are blanketed in 4G and 5G, but most of the country is rural – leaving a continuing challenge to be solved. Homegrown vendors are trying to address the challenge (alongside global suppliers) while looking to expand globally and make a mark on 6G going forward. That’s a lot of complex, intermingled dynamics – and why I’m here.