IMC 2026: PM Modi calls for global framework to tackle deepfakes, cyber fraud

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a global framework to tackle cyber fraud, deepfakes, data security and digital trust, saying technology can scale only when users have confidence that their data and money are secure. “Technology can only achieve scale when it establishes trust,” Modi said while addressing the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New Delhi.

Modi said cyber fraud and deepfakes are emerging as major challenges and require coordinated action globally. He called on stakeholders to work towards a global framework covering fraud, data security and digital trust.

The Prime Minister said India also needs to prepare its technology roadmap for the next decade, with only four years remaining in the current decade. “We need to build roadmap for the next decade now,” Modi said, adding that discussions at India Mobile Congress should help shape India’s priorities for the coming decade as technologies, networks and digital services evolve rapidly.

From manufacturing to designing technology in India

Modi said India is moving beyond manufacturing towards a phase where technology products will increasingly be designed in the country. He said the telecom sector was seeing a fast-moving “reform express”, with changes aimed at creating a more modern regulatory and innovation ecosystem.

Referring to reforms in the telecom sector, Modi said the Telecom Act had helped establish a more modern regulatory framework. He also referred to legacy issues in the sector and said the government had sought to turn “AGR-like blunders into wonders” while pushing ahead with broader telecom reforms.

Modi said mobile phones have also changed the way Indians create and consume content, with cheap data, faster connectivity and the spread of smartphones taking content creation deeper into the hinterland. He said the content creation industry is now worth thousands of crores of rupees and that mobile phones have “democratised content creation” by allowing more people to produce and distribute content.

More than 50 crore Indians are now part of the gaming ecosystem, Modi said, with young people from Tier II and Tier III cities playing a significant role. "Mobile phone is a gaming console and a content creation studio today,” Modi said.

Modi also said mobile phones have moved beyond being a communication device and have become a medium for accessing public services across India’s diverse languages and geographies. “Mobile phone is no longer a medium of chat,” he said, adding that digital connectivity has reduced travel and waiting time while improving convenience.

Modi described this as the “largest citizen dividend of technology”. He said mobile and internet connectivity has helped keep education, payments, healthcare, and government services accessible across the country.

The Prime Minister said the DIKSHA online education platform has recorded around 500 crore learning sessions and 600 crore learning minutes. The government’s new target is to connect 25 crore students through the platform, he added. “A decade back, the digital divide was a challenge. New technology was becoming a privilege,” Modi said.

He said the Digital India programme sought to change this by placing the mobile phone at the centre of expanding digital access and public services. Modi also highlighted the Direct Benefit Transfer system, saying around ₹50 lakh crore has been transferred directly into beneficiary accounts. He said nearly ₹5 lakh crore had been prevented from going into the “wrong hands”. He added that the government had made it a resolve to implement the DBT system despite opposition.

On agriculture, Modi said more than ₹4 lakh crore has been transferred to farmers under the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi programme. He said the money was reaching crores of small farmers who had earlier struggled to access government services directly.

Modi also highlighted the expansion of 5G infrastructure. India now has more than 5.5 lakh 5G base stations, he said. Recalling the evolution of India Mobile Congress, Modi said 5G was launched from the IMC stage in 2022. “In 2023, I had discussed how we moved from 5G rollout to reach out,” he said.