Indian government is preparing a USD 4-billion investment plan to connect every village in the country with high-speed broadband, aiming to achieve 100 percent telecom connectivity saturation in remote regions, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday.
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"We are putting in place a close to USD 4 billion investment plan to connect every single village (for a) 100 percent saturation. Since June of last year, 17,000 towers out of a planned 27,000 towers have been set up in nearly 36,000 villages," Scindia said at the Bharat Telecom 2025 event, both Moneycontrol[1] and ETTelecom[2] reported.
He said telecom connectivity in every village will provide a means for citizen empowerment and access to information and communications. He was speaking at the two-day Bharat Telecom event organised by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Bharat Telecom 2025
"Bharat Telecom is not just a conference — it is a declaration of India's intent to shape the future of global connectivity through innovation, collaboration, and inclusive growth," said Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, while inaugurating Bharat Telecom 2025 in New Delhi today, according to the Ministry of Communications.
The Communications Ministry said Bharat Telecom 2025 plays a significant role in India's vision to become a global hub for telecom manufacturing, services, and exports.
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Production-Linked Incentives
In his inaugural remarks, Scindia further highlighted India's growing role as a telecom exporter and a hub of innovation, backed by progressive reforms and production-linked incentives. "We're not just connecting villages; we're connecting futures. Every tower we raise, every byte we transmit, brings 1.4 billion people closer to opportunity," Minister Scindia asserted, according to the Ministry of Communications' statement on May 6, 2025.
He highlighted, "It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bold vision and unwavering resolve that have transformed India from a digital follower into a global digital leader — turning aspirations into infrastructure, and policy into progress."
The minister said India has rolled out 5G networks in a remarkable time, attributing the success to Indian telcos, which invested USD 50 billion in 21 months in the deployment of the latest generation wireless networks, according to the reports.
As per the Ministry, Scindia highlighted "In just 22 months, we connected 99 percent of our villages with 5G and brought 82 percent of our population onto the network, deploying 470,000 towers—this is not evolution; it is a telecom revolution." He pointed out, "This digital highway we have built across India is not merely about communication—it is the infrastructure of infrastructure, empowering 1.4 billion citizens with access to healthcare, education, governance, and economic opportunity."
"4,70,000 towers have been set-up with almost a Rs 4 lakh crores of investment. This is a result of bold reforms, visionary policies, and unwavering ambitions to transform India into a global digital power," he added, as mentioned in the second report.
Cheapest Data Market in the World
Scindia reportedly said data consumption has jumped manifold, with average usage at 27.5 GB per user, registering a 19.5 percent CAGR in the previous five years. "Over 43 percent of all broadband traffic in metros is on 5G today, and by the end of this year, 90 percent of all smartphones sold in India will be 5G-enabled. Therefore, as India has become the second-largest telecom market, we have also become the cheapest data market in the world," he said, as per the reports.
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From 5G Rollout to 6G Readiness
Scindia also 'guaranteed' that India will lead the world in 6G, underlying that '99 percent of the country' is already connected with 5G. "I guarantee, India shall lead the world in 6G. In just 22 months, 99 percent of villages are connected with 5G," Scindia said, as mentioned in the first report.
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He pointed out that India has not only caught up with the world in areas like 4G and 5G, but is now leading the charge, with sweeping reforms and technological innovation shaping the country's trajectory. According to the Ministry, Scindia underlined the role of India's telecom sector as a transformative force and described the nation's evolution from expensive, limited mobile access in the 1990s to now being the world's second-largest telecom market and the cheapest data provider.
Speaking at the session, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications, said, "There are moments in a nation's journey when it not only participates in global conversations but defines their course. Today, India stands ready not merely as a market or consumer but as a creator, partner and trusted provider of world-class telecom solutions. The narrative has changed from a historical made-for-India to made-by-India."
Vision for the Future
Citing initiatives like the production-linked incentive scheme, progressive spectrum management, and the Telecom Technology Development Fund, Pemmasani pointed to India's dramatic rise in domestic manufacturing, exports, and innovation, the Ministry said.
He further mentioned that India now plays a significant role in global supply chains, including producing 15 percent of the world's iPhones. He concluded by outlining the country's future focus on 6G leadership, satellite broadband expansion, and quantum communication networks to strengthen digital sovereignty.
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According to the first report, Scindia said India provides a vision that offers "policy, purpose and people" to the world. "This phenomenal progress that we see in India is not an accident. It is a result of the Prime Minister's vision, the capability to see the future, actuate it and make it a reality."
Mobile Manufacturing Powerhouse
Referring to recent media reports, Union minister, Scindia reportedly said Apple plans to source and produce all iPhones in India in the coming years. "We are a mobile manufacturing powerhouse now," he said. "India is not merely participating in digital revolution. We are leading it, shaping it and inspiring for the world to follow."
"Our sales of mobile phones alone is worth Rs 2 lakh crores in the last fiscal, which means we are talking about a close to USD 24 billion value. Our telecom equipment market, from sales exports of close to Rs 8,500 crores to almost Rs 20,000 crores, and this is driven by our production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom equipment manufacturing," he said, as per the second report.
"The intellectual property, hardware and software, which are the very soul of our telecom products, are today designed, imagined and crafted in India. It makes economic sense for every OEM player… to invest in India," Scindia said, as mentioned in the second report.
According to the Ministry, Bharat Telecom 2025 has been conceptualised to reinforce India's position as a reliable and trusted telecom products manufacturing and export destination, by highlighting the country's growing capabilities in telecom equipment, ICT services and next-generation digital technologies. Over 80 leading Indian Telecom and ICT companies showcased innovative products and solutions across multiple domains.
