India is on track to become the world’s data capital within the next five years, according to Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025, he said India’s rapid digital evolution, powered by its telecom revolution, has positioned the country as a global leader in connectivity, affordability, and scale.
With over 1.2 billion mobile subscribers and 940 million broadband users, India is now the second-largest mobile market in the world. Scindia credited this transformation to falling data and handset costs and widespread access to digital infrastructure, noting that the country is now globally recognised as a digital-first economy.
India’s digital rise driven by low-cost connectivity
Highlighting the affordability of mobile internet, Scindia recalled how communication costs have dropped dramatically over the past decade. “Eleven years ago, 1 GB of data cost ₹287. Today, it costs just ₹9. That’s a 97 per cent reduction,” he said. He also pointed out that India’s data tariffs are currently at 5 per cent of the global average, making it one of the most affordable telecom markets in the world.
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Scindia credited India’s digital infrastructure initiatives and policy reforms for this progress, which he believes will catalyse the country’s emergence as the central hub for global data consumption, processing, and innovation.
Consumption boom expected to define global role
With explosive data usage, expanding telecom infrastructure, and increasing digitisation across industries, India is poised to lead the next phase of the global digital economy. The Minister’s remarks come as the country sees massive investment across 5G, cloud computing, and AI technologies, setting the stage for India’s rise as a tech powerhouse by 2030.
