{"id":44520,"date":"2025-05-31T20:52:50","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T15:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=44520"},"modified":"2025-05-31T20:53:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T15:23:07","slug":"india-1-billion-internet-users-by-this-fiscal-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-05-2025\/india-1-billion-internet-users-by-this-fiscal-year","title":{"rendered":"India will have 1 Billion Internet Users by this Fiscal Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ E-governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Minister of Communications announced at the <strong>India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025<\/strong> that India\u2019s Internet user base is set to touch 1 billion by the end of FY26.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The theme<\/strong> of the IMC 2025 is <strong>\u201cInnovate to Transform\u201d.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Growth of India\u2019s Telecom and Internet Sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Internet Penetration Surge: <\/strong>Internet users in India have risen from 250 million (2014) to 974 million, a nearly fourfold increase in a decade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Broadband Subscribers:<\/strong> Subscribers with <strong>speeds >2 Mbps<\/strong> rose from <strong>66 million<\/strong> in 2014 to <strong>940 million.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mobile Market: <\/strong>The telecom subscriber base increased from 1 billion to 1.2 billion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Affordability: <\/strong>Call rates reduced from \u20b90.50\/minute to <strong>\u20b90.003\/minute<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Data prices in India have dropped dramatically\u2014from \u20b9287 per GB to just \u20b99 per GB\u2014making it one of the cheapest globally at just 11 cents per GB, compared to the global average of $2.49.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfciWn7fXcRRlM89a86WbQv0SY5AQ9u2eOpEkGyq9ZXEqHWLLayeN46DfgvlgTcfwuXmRqjzYlQBJ1jLTaF_vvhkncwOhronDjCFbH_eYFshAwtUbnc-R5UMZ6tY9fHumD2njvAMg?key=uz8LPmnh8_5auDZRpvsmPA\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdomajmy15aRHXyxiwA6dxmjop9g3xCGjCtY84nBpVrm53iwaWyg0yt3a3hFkw1y1_hIeEjG8nTH6gY-uYWJ3bav1bS-Z7PpR2-cKvDmW9aQMe1sn_rCtMYIYDJpQUhMqjmS3IjvQ?key=uz8LPmnh8_5auDZRpvsmPA\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Policy Initiatives of GOI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Prime Minister\u2019s WiFi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI)<\/strong> was launched by the Department of Telecommunication in <strong>2020.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The scheme aims <\/strong>to enhance the <strong>proliferation of public WiFi hotspots<\/strong> to create robust digital communications infrastructure in the country, especially in rural areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>BharatNet Project:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Phase I: <\/strong>Connected <strong>2.14 lakh<\/strong> Gram Panchayats with 7 lakh km of optical fibre.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Phase II:<\/strong> Target to connect remaining 2.64 lakh Gram Panchayats, totaling connectivity for 3.8 lakh villages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Investment: <\/strong>\u20b91.39 lakh crore ($16.9 billion) \u2013 world\u2019s largest public-sector connectivity program.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technology Upgrades in BharatNet II:<\/strong> Use of MPLS routers (better redundancy) instead of GPON.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shift from linear to <strong>ring topology for uninterrupted service.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mandating <strong>10-year maintenance<\/strong> by implementation agencies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Setting up a<strong> central Network Operating Centre.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Telecom Manufacturing and Export: <\/strong>From 80% mobile imports to exporting \u20b91.75 lakh crore worth of phones.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The transformation has been driven by the <strong>Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme<\/strong>, which has attracted over <strong>\u20b94,000 crore<\/strong> in investments, facilitated exports worth \u20b916,000 crore, and created around 25,000 jobs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bharat 6G Alliance:<\/strong> It is a collaboration between India\u2019s domestic industry, academia, research institutions, and standards organisations.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The alliance aims to build a national action plan for 6G, ensuring that India remains at the forefront of technological innovation in the coming decades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Digital Governance Backbone: <\/strong>Enables delivery of digital services like e-governance, telemedicine, and online education to rural areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inclusive Growth: <\/strong>Empowers the digitally underserved, especially rural and remote regions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Leadership: <\/strong>India\u2019s telecom affordability and scale, position it as a model for developing nations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Multiplier:<\/strong> Internet and telecom expansion enhances productivity, innovation, and investment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Last-Mile Connectivity: <\/strong>Difficult terrain, low affordability, and lack of digital skills still limit access in remote areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Data Privacy and Cybersecurity:<\/strong> India needs stronger laws and greater public awareness to protect user data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Quality of Service:<\/strong> Internet speed and reliability remain uneven despite wide network coverage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skilling:<\/strong> Increased digital access must be supported by basic digital literacy and training programs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concluding remarks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s <strong>near-billion Internet<\/strong> users mark a paradigm shift in digital empowerment.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With supportive policies like BharatNet and PLI, the country is not just connecting its people, but also aspiring to lead the global digital future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/india-will-have-1bn-internet-users-by-this-fiscal-year-jyotiraditya-scindia\/article69637704.ece#:~:text=The%20broadband%20market%2C%20wi\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Minister of Communications announced at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 that India\u2019s Internet user base is set to touch 1 billion by the end of FY26.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Last-Mile Connectivity: Difficult terrain, low affordability, and lack of digital skills still limit access in remote areas.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Data Privacy and Cybersecurity: India needs stronger laws and greater public awareness to protect user data.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Quality of Service: Internet speed and reliability remain uneven despite wide network coverage.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Skilling: Increased digital access must be supported by basic digital literacy and training programs.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-05-2025\/india-1-billion-internet-users-by-this-fiscal-year\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44520"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44533,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44520\/revisions\/44533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}