India’s next phase of digital growth will depend on turning its connectivity scale into AI-ready infrastructure, enterprise productivity and more trusted digital services, according to new GSMA research released at India Mobile Congress 2026.

The industry body said India has around 1.2 billion active mobile connections and almost 450 million 5G connections. Its India Ecosystem Insight Report identifies AI-ready networks, faster enterprise digitization and digital trust as priorities as telecom infrastructure takes on a broader role in cloud, AI, cybersecurity and enterprise services.

A separate GSMA consumer scam study found that 12 percent of respondents reported being scammed in the previous year, while 72 percent said the growing risk of scams had changed their behavior. Although 86 percent of victims reported their case to an organization, 33 percent of reported cases remained unresolved and 67 percent of victims who lost money recovered none of it.

The GSMA said mobile operators can contribute to stronger digital trust through secure authentication, fraud prevention, network intelligence and standardized network APIs. Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea support GSMA Open Gateway capabilities including number verification and SIM-swap signals.

The reports also argue that India has an opportunity to influence the development of open and interoperable 6G standards as regional operators and industry groups prepare for the next generation of mobile infrastructure.

Axiata CEO Nik Rizal Kamil appointed to GSMA global mobile-industry board