At India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, companies are showcasing platforms that combine multiple communication channels with AI capabilities. According to reports from Business Standard, Authkey.io is building a communications platform that integrates messaging, customer conversations and AI-led automation onto a single platform. The company's founder, Ashish Jha, emphasized that the platform is built around two-way communication with AI handling responses, moving beyond traditional one-way notifications to automated customer conversations. Building on this foundation, the 10th edition of IMC 2026 gathered global industry leaders, policymakers, telecom operators and academia to advance the forum's defining theme of 'Scale Without Boundaries'. The day deepened strategic discourse across 6G testbeds, direct-to-device satellite connectivity and the monetisation of AI-native digital infrastructure.
Authkey's platform focuses on reducing the time businesses spend filtering irrelevant enquiries by automating lead qualification. As reported by Business Standard, the platform can raise support tickets and schedule appointments with multiple teams and human agents integrated. The system functions as what Jha described as an "entire team inbox," with the emphasis on what happens after customer response rather than just message delivery. The platform is also developing a custom AI system that will learn from business queries, with provisions for queries that AI cannot answer to be shown to businesses for manual addition. This approach represents the operational realities of artificial intelligence in enterprise communications, as highlighted by AI-Native Telecom Networks: intelligence, automation and accountability discussions at IMC 2026.
Authkey addresses security concerns through certified vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT) with a separate security team. According to Business Standard, the platform allows customers to hide their data and prevent it from being downloaded or viewed by others. The system also masks mobile numbers, showing only the first five digits while hiding the remaining five digits. These features are designed to help businesses keep customer data secure while maintaining communication functionality. The focus on digital trust as a national capability was a key theme at IMC 2026, with discussions on how AI-native networks can enhance security and privacy standards across enterprise communications.
The shift toward multiple communication channels is supported by global messaging data, with Infobip's 2026 messaging report showing RCS interactions in India grew 70% and WhatsApp interactions grew 20%. As reported by Business Standard, this creates a different communications environment from markets where SMS remains primary. Authkey's founder noted that Indian businesses are increasingly using Instagram and Facebook ads, creating demand for platforms that can manage multiple channels based on consumer preferences. The 3rd International Bharat 6G Symposium 2026 formally inaugurated at IMC 2026 moved the conversation from foundational theory to real-world testbeds and deep-tech startup ecosystems, highlighting the practical applications of advanced network technologies.
Airtel Business launched IQ Gateway on October 5, bringing SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, business voice and number verification into a single enterprise communications platform. According to Business Standard, this development reflects the broader shift toward common communications layers, with both approaches showing businesses' need to manage several channels instead of relying on single routes. The move represents CPaaS expanding beyond traditional messaging APIs into broader customer engagement platforms with conversational AI capabilities. Enterprise tracks curated with GSMA at IMC 2026 tackled the operational realities of artificial intelligence, spotlighting AI-Native Telecom Networks: intelligence, automation and accountability and enterprise value via network APIs.
