Published on: 2026-10-06
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The share of the IT industry in Russia’s GDP has more than doubled over six years. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of Staff of the Government Dmitry Grigorenko during the main plenary session of the “Digital Solutions” forum.
The Russian IT market continues to grow year over year. In the first half of 2026, the revenue of accredited IT companies, including marketplaces, online educational platforms, and integrators, reached 5.9 trillion rubles. Over three years, this figure increased by 68%. The domestic software registry currently includes 32 thousand IT solutions – over six years their number has grown fivefold. Russian IT services exports increased by 15% as of the end of 2025.
“Today, the IT sector is one of the key drivers of the Russian economy. Over six years, the contribution of the digital sector to economic development has doubled. We have moved from import substitution to the creation of our own competitive IT solutions that demonstrate high quality. We have our own AI models, mapping, antivirus software, browser, and digital platforms,” noted Dmitry Grigorenko.
During the plenary session, business representatives gave reports. Ivan Guz, Managing Director of Avito, highlighted the key role of digital platforms in economic development. Russian marketplaces, taxi and delivery services, as well as employment platforms today not only make life easier for individual users but also enable entrepreneurs to realize their potential. More than 8 billion orders and transactions are made through domestic marketplaces, and employment platforms contribute to job placement and income generation across the country. The expert identified the direction of development as the full automation of customer requests via AI assistants and the complete prevention of cybercrimes through digital platforms.
Vladimir Kirienko from VK emphasized during his speech the importance of entertainment and educational services for the self-realization of Russians of all ages. Today, 75% of young people consume educational content in the media space, and the implementation of AI and synchronization of digital platforms not only allows for personalizing it according to the viewer’s requests and interests but also creates an opportunity for businesses to sell products and services integrated into bloggers’ content directly to their audience. The prospects for the development of the Russian entertainment aggregator market are hyper-personalization of content feeds and the creation of a unique experience for each user, including generating a personal development trajectory in real time based on progress and material acquisition.
Special attention during the plenary session was given to building an independent domestic digital infrastructure. Andrey Kuzyaev, President of JSC “ER-Telecom Holding,” specified that the digital world today is so closely intertwined with the real world that it is difficult to imagine solving issues both at the household level and at the level of entire industries without stable network access. In Russia, more than 1.4 million km of fiber-optic communication lines (FOCL) have been laid, and over 93% of households across the country have internet access. The industry’s future plans include increasing internet speed through domestic infrastructure, developing quantum communication, and smart assistants.
Sergey Anokhin, CEO of Beeline, spoke about the effects of implementing artificial intelligence in the telecom industry. Today, AI processes 45% of all network incidents for the operator and is also used to protect subscribers and block fraudulent unwanted calls. The expert identified the shift to autonomous networks as the direction for further development: by 2030, 81% of networks worldwide could be managed by AI. According to him, further development of the technology will require not just isolated implementation of individual solutions but a restructuring of business processes: by 2030, 80% of workers will need to have AI-related skills. Meanwhile, telecom will become one of the key foundations for AI development thanks to the construction of new data centers and increased network reliability and performance.
Denis Baranov, CEO of Positive Technologies, spoke about key results and new challenges in the field of cybersecurity. According to him, along with the development of digital technologies, the nature of cyber threats is also changing: attackers are increasingly using tools based on artificial intelligence. However, Russia’s experience in repelling such attacks attracts the interest of partner countries and is becoming a channel for exporting domestic cybersecurity technologies. The expert identified the creation of proactive solutions capable of preempting attacks as the development vector. The application of new technologies will reduce the response time to cyber incidents from 72 hours to 40 minutes.
Experts from business and government representatives during the plenary session agreed that the next stage of digital transformation is the large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence with concrete measurable results. AI is already changing traditional digital services and user scenarios, as well as creating new challenges that require simultaneous improvement of digital infrastructure and security tools. In the future, technological development will lead to a transition to an “agent economy,” in which AI will not only assist with choices but also independently perform certain tasks, freeing humans from life-risking tasks and leaving time for self-realization and creativity.
The annual IT forum “Digital Solutions” is held from October 6 to 10, 2026, in Moscow at the National Center “Russia.” The forum brings together representatives from the government, business, and IT community. The business program includes more than 120 sessions with over 700 speakers.
The forum focuses on digital infrastructure, platform solutions, artificial intelligence, cloud services, cybersecurity, domestic software, educational platforms, and digital services. For the general audience, masterclasses on digital literacy, IT quests, career counseling, career guidance programs, gaming, and lounge spaces have been prepared.
For the first time within the forum, the 2nd Global Digital Forum is being held, which will bring together more than 700 foreign participants from over 100 countries. Its program includes bilateral meetings, expert sessions, seminars, master classes, cultural events, and presentations of Russian digital solutions to foreign partners.
Also, as part of the “Digital Solutions” forum at the “Moskino” venue, the qualifying stages of the international championship “Robot Battle” are taking place. From October 6 to 10, 144 teams from 11 countries will compete in matches in the weight categories up to 110 kg and in the mini-robots category weighing up to 1.5 kg.
The organizer of the forum and the National Digital Solutions Award is the Ministry of Digital Development with the support of the Government. The project operator is the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “National Priorities,” and the operator of the forum’s business program is the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “Digital Economy.”
Official forum website: forumdigital.solutions.rf
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.