India is on a strong trajectory to become the “data capital of the world,” said Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, during the CII Annual Business Summit 2025.
One of the key drivers of this growth is the sharp drop in data costs over the past decade. Scindia highlighted that the price of 1 GB of data has fallen from ₹287 to just ₹9 — a 97% reduction. At $0.11 per GB, India now offers the lowest data costs globally, standing at just 5% of the world average of $2.50.
This affordability has fueled an explosive rise in connectivity. Mobile subscribers have increased from 800 million to 1.2 billion, and internet users have surged from 250 million to 974 million. Broadband users have also seen a remarkable jump from 66 million to nearly 940 million.
Scindia emphasized that these numbers are not just statistics but proof that India is becoming a digital-first economy — a transformation largely enabled by the country’s evolving telecom sector.
He also spoke about India’s advancements in telecom self-reliance. The country has successfully developed an indigenous 4G telecom stack, making it the fifth nation in the world to do so. This technology is being implemented through BSNL’s infrastructure, with 94,000 out of 100,000 towers already deployed.