Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed that the growing challenge of cyber frauds and deepfakes required global cooperation, and called for the creation of a global framework to address the threat. “Deepfakes have become such a big challenge that it is essential that we work on a global framework for it,” he said.Addressing the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress here, The Prime Minister also stressed the need to strengthen security across the rapidly expanding digital ecosystem. Phone and network security must remain priorities, he said, calling for an “airtight and foolproof” security framework for telecom and digital technologies.Prime Minister Narendra Modi further hailed India’s journey towards affordable data, mobile phones and widespread connectivity, saying it was driven by a deliberate effort to democratise technology and bridge the digital divide.Modi said India had made a decisive shift from being a consumer of technology to becoming a creator, with the country now aiming to develop not just products but also their design, technology and intellectual property domestically.“Today, we hear that data is affordable in India, mobile phones are affordable, and the mobile user base has expanded significantly. All of this is true. But how did this happen, and why was it done?” he said.The Prime Minister said the government’s Digital India initiative had placed mobile phones at the centre of its efforts to make technology accessible to all.Recalling the situation a decade ago, he said the digital divide was a major challenge, with access to modern technology largely limited to those who could afford it. The government undertook telecom reforms, expanded infrastructure and promoted the domestic manufacturing of mobile phones and other telecom equipment, he added.“This was a massive effort towards the democratisation of technology,” Modi said, adding that over the past 10-12 years, mobile phones had evolved from mere communication devices into important tools for good governance.Referring to this year’s IMC theme, “Scale Without Boundaries”, Modi said India’s experience demonstrated how the vision could be translated into reality. Telecom services, he said, were no longer limited to networks, spectrum, towers, reach and speed but had become a means of reducing travel, waiting time and costs while improving convenience.“This is the biggest citizen dividend of technology,” he said.Highlighting India’s progress in 5G, Modi said the country had moved beyond the technology’s rollout to ensuring its widespread reach. He said 5G connectivity had reached every district, with more than 5.5 lakh base stations supporting the networks. Mobile internet speeds, he added, had increased tenfold since 2022.Modi also highlighted the changing role of mobile phones, saying they had evolved into gaming consoles and creation studios rather than remaining devices used merely for communication.He said India was now embarking on a journey from “consumer to creator”, with the aim of developing products, designs, technologies and intellectual property within the country.Recalling the launch of 5G at the India Mobile Congress in 2022, Modi said the event had since emerged as an important platform for showcasing India’s telecom capabilities and aspirations.He welcomed telecom operators, industry leaders, experts, academics and startups from across the world to India, noting that the country was hosting the GSMA Board meeting this year.