India: The Emerging Data Capital of the World

India is on track to become the data capital of the world in the next five years, as declared by Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025.

Scindia emphasized India's reputation as a digital-first economy globally, steered by the telecom revolution. Reflecting this transformation, India's telecom subscriber base has surged to 1.2 billion from 800 million over a decade, making it the second-largest mobile market. Additionally, broadband users total 940 million now, highlighting the nation's digital expansion.

Scindia noted a drastic decrease in costs for connectivity and handsets. He compared past and present data costs, citing a reduction from Rs 16 per minute to an astounding Rs 9 per GB, a 97% decrease. India's data cost stands at just 5% of the global average, underscoring the country's competitive edge in communications.

(With inputs from agencies.)