Roughly one in eight people surveyed in India says they were scammed in the past year, and most of those who lost money never got any of it back. Against that backdrop, the GSMA, the global body for mobile operators, told India Mobile Congress 2026 that digital trust is no longer just a safeguard but the foundation of India’s next phase of growth.
The warning comes as India holds around 1.2 billion active mobile connections and nearly 450 million 5G connections. Launching three new reports at the event, the GSMA argued that India has proven it can deliver digital scale, and that the task now is converting that scale into economic value people can safely rely on.
“India has demonstrated that it can deliver digital scale,” said Vivek Badrinath, Director General of the GSMA, in his keynote. “Digital trust is not simply a safeguard. It is infrastructure for growth.”
The scam numbers behind the warning
The India Consumer Scam Report 2026, titled “Permission Granted, Cases Still Open,” found that:
12% of respondents were scammed in the previous year.
72% said the growing risk of scams has changed their behaviour.
86% of victims reported their case to an organisation, yet 33% of reported cases remain unresolved.
67% of victims who lost money recovered none of it.
Outcomes also shape public confidence. Among respondents whose cases were resolved, 88% were comfortable with the government using their data. Among those whose cases were still open, the figure dropped to 64%.
The report calls for faster case resolution, better recovery of lost money and closer coordination between public authorities, banks, mobile operators and digital platforms.
Operators as a line of defence
Mobile operators can help through identity verification, network security, fraud prevention, authentication and sharing trusted intelligence. Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea support GSMA Open Gateway, which sets common technical frameworks for network APIs such as number verification and SIM swap signals.
All three are also members of the GSMA-led Asia Pacific Cross Sector Anti Scam Taskforce (ACAST), which brings together 39 organisations across 17 countries. Work on trusted data sharing, network API signals and Open Verifiable Communications is also advancing through the GSMA’s United Against Scams programme.
What digital trust requires
The GSMA’s Digital Nations 2026 report assessed 22 Asia Pacific countries on infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security and people. It identifies four foundations of digital trust: verifiable identities, authentic communications, resilient networks and the responsible sharing of trusted information.
India has made significant progress on digital infrastructure and security, the report notes. The next opportunity is to build on that base to drive enterprise adoption, innovation and wider use of mobile internet services, which will take coordination across government, regulators, operators, financial institutions and digital platforms.
Three priorities for growth
The GSMA’s India Ecosystem Insight Report: From Mobile Connectivity to Digital Infrastructure sets out three priorities:
AI-ready networks. High-capacity, secure and resilient networks are essential to India’s AI ambitions. AI can also improve network planning, energy efficiency, service assurance, cybersecurity and fraud detection.
Enterprise digitisation. Fixed wireless access, private networks, cloud connectivity, network APIs and cybersecurity services can help businesses digitalise and grow.
Digital trust. Secure authentication, fraud prevention and privacy-preserving network intelligence will matter more as the digital economy expands.
A role in shaping 6G
The GSMA also sees an opening for India to lead in 6G. The Bharat 6G Alliance is among the Asia Pacific signatories of the GSMA’s Tokyo Accord, a commitment to open, interoperable and trusted digital ecosystems for the 6G era.
“Open, interoperable and trusted global standards allow innovation to travel, so people and businesses everywhere can benefit,” Badrinath said.