India 5G Ascent: World 2nd Largest Subscriber Base Digital Leap

India Cements Global 5G Leadership, Becomes Second-Largest Subscriber Nation

In a landmark achievement for its digital ambitions, India has officially secured its position as the world’s second-largest 5G subscriber base, surpassed only by China. This milestone underscores the rapid pace of the country's telecom transformation. Union Minister for Communications,  Jyotiraditya Scindia , recently revealed that India has surpassed  400 million 5G users , establishing the nation as one of the fastest adopters of this next-generation technology globally.

Unprecedented Rollout Speed and Scale

The 5G rollout in India, commercially launched in October 2022, has been characterized by record-breaking deployment speed. Official data confirms that  5G networks now cover 99.6% of districts  and are accessible to nearly  85% of the population . To support this massive network, Telecom Service Providers have erected close to  4.69 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs)  across the country. This infrastructure push has facilitated the migration of approximately  25 crore (250 million) mobile subscribers  to 5G services in a remarkably short timeframe.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Rural Connectivity Surges

The expansion of 5G and broader digital infrastructure has catalyzed significant growth in rural connectivity. Between  March 2014 and September 2025 , rural telephone connections witnessed a surge of  42.9% , significantly outpacing urban growth rates. The number of rural connections jumped from  377.78 million to 539.83 million . Concurrently, India’s total internet user base has achieved a historic feat, crossing  100 crore (1 billion) connections —a staggering  299% increase  from the 25.15 crore users recorded in 2014.

Atmanirbhar Bharat in Telecom: Indigenous 4G/5G Stack

Aligning with the vision of an  Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) , the country has made a strategic leap in indigenous technology. India has become the  fifth nation globally  to develop its own complete indigenous  4G technology stack , which is seamlessly upgradable to 5G. This critical achievement was completed in just  two years , a timeline notably shorter than global equivalents. Looking ahead, focused indigenous research and development initiatives are already targeting future  6G capabilities .

Setting a Global Benchmark

The government emphasizes that India's 5G journey is setting new international standards in terms of  scale, speed, and affordability . Backed by proactive policy support, accelerating user adoption, and a firm commitment to homegrown innovation, India is solidifying its stature as a leading digital economy and an influential actor in the future of global telecommunications.

?? Important Facts for Exams (Point-Wise)

• India is now the  world's second-largest 5G subscriber base , trailing only China.

• The country has crossed  over 400 million (40 crore) 5G users .

• 5G coverage  extends to  99.6% of districts  and  ~85% of the population .

• Telecom providers have installed  ~4.69 lakh 5G BTSs  (as of March 2025).

• About  25 crore mobile users  have migrated to 5G since its launch.