The 2025 Mobile World Congress (MWC) opened on Monday in Barcelona, Spain, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and technology innovators to explore advancements in 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced connectivity.
The four-day event at the Fira Gran Via exhibition center is themed "Converge, Connect, Create," emphasizing the fusion of mobile and AI-driven technologies.
As the world's premier mobile technology gathering, this year's MWC has drawn more than 2,800 exhibitors and 1,200 speakers, with organizers expecting over 100,000 attendees to come through the doors.
More than 300 Chinese firms, including the main telecoms operators China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, and top tech firms like Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, and Xiaomi, are all showcasing their latest innovations.
These include breakthroughs on 5G-A, an evolutionary upgrade to 5G technology, as well as wearable terminal products applied in automobiles, smart computers, mobile phones, AR smart glasses, and smart watches.
The buzz around the cutting-edge innovations brought by China's leading tech firms was evident on the opening day of the event, with numerous attendees stopping by the Chinese exhibition booth.
Many hailed China's latest tech developments and expressed hopes for increased collaboration between Chinese and foreign enterprises in the future.
"The quality of Chinese telecommunication products is truly outstanding. I am very impressed and really like them. I believe they are comparable to the top products of other brands on the market," said a Spanish product manager attending the event.
Mobile World Congress kicks off with spotlight on AI, 5G
A strong El Nino is driving unusually high temperatures and slashing rainfall in India during the country's June-September monsoon season, threatening crop yields and disrupting supply chains.
In the western state of Maharashtra, the third largest by area in India, farmers are worried about their harvest prospects and delaying planting schedules.
"Half of June has passed, and the rains still haven't arrived. We're currently cultivating sugarcane. Look at the plants behind me -- they are withering because there has been no rain. And because of the dry weather, we are also having to delay planting cotton," said Jalindar Wagh, a local farmer.
The impact of delayed planting has spread to the upstream supply chain, including sales of seeds and pesticides. In Maharashtra, products that are normally in peak sales season are now straggling, and some distribution businesses have halted operations altogether.
"There has been no rain across the entire state of Maharashtra. Because of that, our seeds and pesticides are lying in stock, since farmers aren't planning to buy them. If the rains keep getting delayed, the consequences, along with inflation, will start to show," said Rajendra Wagh, a local distributor.
With this year's monsoon rainfall expected to be below normal, India's meteorological department is urging farmers to switch to crops that require less water, fearing that overuse of irrigation systems could broaden the impact.
"Agriculture is rain-dependent. If this year's monsoon -- which we expect that it will be below normal, then it will impact those farmers also. So that's why we are advising farmers to go for such crops which require less water. Agriculture impacts electricity because hydropower electricity, which depends on the flow of rivers, will also dry up, because, due to lesser amount of rainfall, it will also impact the generation of hydro electricity. So, overall impact will be devastating," said meteorologist Mahesh Palawat.
El Nino induces drought in India, weighing on agriculture
