India set to become the ‘Data Capital of the World’, says Scindia

India is on track to become the "data capital of the world" within the next five years, Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday, highlighting the country’s meteoric rise as a digital-first economy.

Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual Business Summit 2025, Scindia credited the drastic fall in data costs and rapid telecom expansion for this transformation. "Just 11 years ago, 1 GB of data cost ₹287. Today, it's just ₹9 — a 97% drop," he said. At 11 cents per GB, India’s data prices are among the lowest globally, just 5% of the world average of $2.50 per GB.

“This is why I believe India will be the data capital of the world in the years ahead,” the Minister added.

Scindia pointed to India's massive digital leap over the past decade. The number of mobile subscribers has grown from around 800 million to 1.2 billion, making India the second-largest mobile market globally. Internet users have surged from 250 million to 974 million, and broadband subscriptions have skyrocketed from 66 million to nearly 940 million.

He also highlighted India’s strides in technological self-reliance, particularly the development of an indigenous 4G telecom stack — making India only the fifth country in the world to do so. This homegrown technology is now being rolled out on BSNL's network, with nearly 94,000 of the planned 100,000 towers already deployed.

In a further sign of the public sector telecom revival, BSNL has reported back-to-back quarterly profits — the first time in 18 years.

Scindia’s remarks underscore the pivotal role India's telecom revolution is playing in reshaping the global digital economy, with affordability, scale, and innovation as key drivers.

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