India to Get Its Own Mobile World Congress in September, Says COAI [Update]

India will organise its first mobile congress in September with a special focus on reaching out to the South East Asian markets.

Update: The GSMA has issued a statement that it is not collaborating with COAI for the Indian Mobile Congress.

"There is Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and an edition in Shanghai. There is nothing in between for South East Asia. India is emerging as one of the global leaders in telecom which we will also showcase in the Indian Mobile Congress," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews told PTI.

He said that the Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Electronics and IT have laid their emphasis on Indian Mobile Congress and Cellular Operators Association of India will drive it.

The GSM Association, which organises annual global event of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, has agreed to associate with the three-day event that will be held at Pragati Maidan starting September 27, he said.

Mathews said he along with Indian government delegation had held discussion with British and Swedish Trade Ministers for their engagement in IMC.

"We have held meeting with official representatives of other governments as well," Mathews said.

He said that all Indian mobile operators, Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco etc are likely to participate in the mobile congress.

"We have asked other Indian business association to come together and be part of it. The event will focus on knowledge sharing, exhibition, startups, skill development and all pillars of Digital India including Make in India," Mathews said.