NEW DELHI, India — India has improved its position in the global Network Readiness Index 2025, moving up four places to rank 45th, with the country leading on several key digital and technology indicators, the government said on Monday.
The index, published by the Portulans Institute, evaluates the network readiness of 127 economies based on their performance across four pillars — Technology, People, Governance and Impact — covering a total of 53 indicators.
According to the Ministry of Communications, India not only improved its ranking but also raised its overall score to 54.43 out of 100 in 2025, up from 53.63 in 2024. The ministry said the results highlight India’s strengthening digital ecosystem and growing global competitiveness.
The report shows India ranking first globally in several categories, including annual investment in telecommunication services, artificial intelligence scientific publications, ICT services exports and e-commerce legislation. The country ranked second in indicators such as FTTH or building-based internet subscriptions, domestic mobile broadband data traffic and international internet bandwidth. India also placed third in domestic market scale and income inequality.
The ministry said India’s performance indicates a higher level of network readiness than would typically be expected at its income level. Among lower-middle-income countries, India ranked second overall.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said recently that India now offers the world’s lowest data costs along with the highest data consumption, supported by rapid expansion of digital infrastructure. He said the country has more than 120 crore mobile users, and the 4G network is expected to reach every village by June.
According to official data, the state-run telecom operator BSNL has installed 97,068 4G sites nationwide, with 93,511 of them currently operational as of October 31, 2025. BSNL plans to upgrade all its 4G towers to 5G within the next few months.
The rollout of 5G services has now extended to all states and union territories, with coverage reaching 99.9 percent of districts. Telecom service providers have installed around 5.08 lakh 5G base transceiver stations across both rural and urban areas, the ministry said.
Officials said the latest index ranking reflects steady progress in India’s digital connectivity, investment climate and policy framework, positioning the country for further gains as network infrastructure and digital adoption continue to expand. (Source: IANS)
