Indian telecom: A global leader in the making

The Indian telecom industry is experiencing remarkable growth, both domestically and internationally. With approximately 1,187 million subscribers, urban teledensity has reached 131.01%, while rural areas lag at 58.31%. Despite this disparity, there remains immense potential for expansion across both sectors. The roll-out of 5G is progressing rapidly, facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI), indigenous data sets, and the establishment of localised data centres. However, affordability remains a key hurdle, particularly in rural areas where network accessibility and 5G-enabled handsets are still financially out of reach for many.