New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a global framework to tackle cross-border cyber frauds and the growing threat of deepfakes, urging governments, technology companies, telecom operators and financial institutions to come together for a mechanism to prevent such frauds before they reach the people.
He said India has gained considerable experience in tackling cyber frauds and is ready to share its learnings with the world.
Modi warned that cyber frauds and cyber crimes do not respect borders and asserted that technology achieves scale only when it gains trust.
“Technology achieves scale only when it gains trust. And you all know that cyber fraud and cyber crimes do not respect borders. They have already crossed boundaries,” he said while addressing the India Mobile Congress 2026 here.
Highlighting the cross-border nature of cyber crimes, he said a person sitting in one country, with the help of another country, can commit a crime in a third country.
“We are also seeing what a big challenge deepfakes have become,” Modi said, adding that countries need to work together on a global framework to address such emerging threats.
“Therefore, it is necessary that we work on a global framework for this. Governments, technology companies, telecom operators, and financial institutions – all will need to connect with this framework. I urge the GSMA and telecom operators across the world: come, let us create a global mechanism that can stop such fraud before it reaches the people,” Modi said.
Industry body GSMA represents mobile network operators and companies across the global ecosystem.
Modi said strengthening the security framework around telecom and digital technologies was equally crucial for their rapid expansion, with phone and network security becoming priorities.
India has learnt a lot from its experiences in this direction and is always ready to share its experiences with the world, he said.
“An ordinary citizen does not think in the language of protocols or architecture; for them, trust is paramount,” he said.
For an ordinary citizen, trust means knowing who is calling, whether a message is genuine or fake, whether a payment is safe and whether personal data is secure, Modi added.
Mobile phones have evolved beyond being a means of communication and have become an important tool for governance and delivery of public services, the PM noted, and emphasised the need to strengthen safeguards against cyber threats in a growing digital ecosystem.
Recalling that 5G was launched in the country from the IMC platform in 2022, Modi said 5G connectivity has now reached every district. More than 5.5 lakh base stations are operating the 5G network, and mobile internet speed has increased 10 times compared with 2022, he said.
The prime minister also highlighted India’s experience with digital governance and said Direct Benefit Transfer had enabled nearly Rs 50 lakh crore to be sent directly to beneficiaries’ mobile-linked bank accounts. He said nearly Rs 5 lakh crore has been saved from going into the “wrong hands”.
Modi asserted that he was determined to stop “wrong practices”.
“Now tell me, those whose ill-gotten income has stopped, will they love Modi? Did I do the right thing or not? Should it be done or not? Should all these wrong practices be stopped or not? No matter how much they shout or scream, I have made up my mind, and I will get it done,” he vowed.
He observed that had the old system prevailed, Rs 5 lakh crore of the government would have gone into leakages, filling the pockets of such people.
“Modi has stopped this,” he said, adding that the money is now reaching rightful beneficiaries and being used for the right causes.
Under the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi, more than Rs 4 lakh crore has been deposited into farmers’ bank accounts, the prime minister said. The amount is disbursed every four months, and farmers receive the message on their mobile phones, he said.
The prime minister also said that India had moved from being a consumer to a creator in the telecom sector and was advancing towards designing products and owning technology and intellectual property in the country.
He said the ‘Reform Express’ was moving rapidly in the telecom sector, with decades-old laws being modernised and a modern regulatory framework created through the Telecommunications Act.
“Work is also being done from our side to rationalise structural burdens such as AGR and bank guarantees, to turn burdens into wonders,” Modi said, adding that the Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal has made right-of-way approvals faster through digital means.
He said the India Mobile Congress had an important role to play in shaping the roadmap for the next decade of the mobile market, not just in India but globally.
“IMC should be remembered for the partnerships that were forged here, for the research projects that commenced here, for the products that reached the world from here, and for the innovations that emerged from India to serve humanity,” he said.
At the start of his address, Modi noted that he completed 25 years in public office on Wednesday. Modi was elected as the chief minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001, and went on to serve three consecutive terms in the state. He was subsequently elected as prime minister of India in 2014.
He also paid tribute to actor Nana Patekar, whose death was reported on Thursday morning, describing him as a brilliant artist.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Bharti group Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, Reliance Jio Infocomm Chairman Akash Ambani and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla were among those present at the inaugural session of IMC 2026.
Organised jointly by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), IMC 2026 centres on the theme ‘Scale Without Boundaries’, highlighting India’s growing mettle in digital innovation, next-generation connectivity and technology-led growth.
The event focuses on next-generation digital infrastructure, technology-led economic growth, inclusive digital access and secure ecosystems. It brings together global technology leaders, policymakers, industry experts, startups, investors and innovators to discuss emerging opportunities across the digital ecosystem.
The 2026 edition will cover nine anchor sectors, including 5G and 6G, next-generation AI networks, semiconductors, non-terrestrial networks, cybersecurity, quantum communication, enterprise transformation, circular economy and ESG, and electronics manufacturing.
It will also deliberate on four new areas — smart mobility, stadium experiences, industrial robotics and transport technology. The event is expected to draw over 1.5 lakh attendees from more than 100 countries, with participation from 500-plus partners and exhibitors, over 600 startups and 900 thought leaders. It features more than 2,000 technology use cases and over 120 sessions.
