Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for technology and digital services to be made more affordable and accessible across the Global South, with delivery reaching the last mile. He made the appeal to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) Board at Seva Teerth on October 6, 2026, a day before the four-day India Mobile Congress was scheduled to begin.
What Modi urged at the GSMA meeting
Business Standard reported that Modi linked technology democratisation to inclusive, sustainable development and warned against allowing the digital divide to widen. The emphasis was not only on access in principle, but on taking useful digital services to people and communities at the last mile. The report paraphrases his remarks; it does not provide a verbatim transcript.
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Modi also presented digital public infrastructure (DPI) as a potentially transformative model and springboard for developing countries. According to the report, he pointed to discussions with several world leaders as a sign of DPI’s growing global relevance. This frames DPI as an approach other countries may adapt, rather than a claim that one model can be transferred unchanged everywhere.
Digital access also needs safeguards
The reported remarks addressed risks that accompany wider use of digital services. Modi called for technology-driven responses to digital and cyber fraud, continuing public-awareness messages about fraudulent calls, and exploration of ways for users to identify the origins of deepfakes and AI-generated content. He also highlighted the need for global standards and common rules for emerging technologies.
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The report does not specify a particular detection tool, regulatory framework, or enforcement mechanism. Its account therefore establishes the issues raised, not a detailed policy plan for implementing them.
Areas for India–GSMA cooperation
GSMA Board members, as described by Business Standard, cited India’s expansion of 4G and 5G, its digital public infrastructure, and its telecom and mobile-manufacturing ecosystem. The report identified potential cooperation in these areas:
- 5G and 6G
- Artificial intelligence
- Cybersecurity
- Digital inclusion
- Satellite connectivity
GSMA is described by Business Standard as representing more than 700 mobile operators and organisations. The report presents the areas above as opportunities for cooperation, not as announced agreements or completed projects.
How the remarks fit Modi’s broader AI position
In a separate address at the India AI Impact Summit on February 19, 2026, the Prime Minister’s Office recorded Modi saying AI should be accessible to everyone and that Global South priorities should be central to AI governance. He offered three suggestions at that event: a trusted global data framework that respects data sovereignty; transparent, verifiable safety rules, described as “glass box” rather than “black box”; and guidance rooted in clear human values. Those proposals provide context for his broader technology policy, but they were not reported as proposals repeated at the October GSMA meeting.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the meeting does—and does not—establish
The October remarks set out priorities: affordability and access, last-mile delivery, adaptable digital public infrastructure, protection from fraud and deceptive synthetic media, and common standards for emerging technologies. The report does not quantify the digital divide, service affordability, cyber-fraud incidence, or the reach of deepfakes, nor does it provide commitments or timelines for the cooperation areas it lists.
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