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India's telecom sector closed 2025 on a strong footing, reinforcing its position as a central pillar of the country's digital economy, driven by rapid 5G expansion, rising data consumption, growing domestic manufacturing, and a sharper focus on resilience, security and self-reliance.
According to industry data, India's overall telecom subscriber base reached 1.2 billion by November 2025, with teledensity rising to 86.76 per cent. Wireless broadband continued to dominate with nearly 955 million users, while 5G adoption accelerated sharply, touching around 394 million subscriptions by year-end. Network rollout also gathered pace as India crossed over 5.15 lakh 5G base transceiver stations, taking average monthly data consumption to about 36 GB per user. Highlighting the scale of infrastructure expansion, HFCL Managing Director Mahendra Nahata said the sector has reached "a critical threshold where capacity, density, and deployment speed determine competitive advantage," adding that India installed "over 5 lakh 5G base stations, achieving 85 per cent population coverage." He noted that the surge in data usage has made fibreisation "not optional but existential for network quality," underscoring the parallel growth of hyperscale data centres and backbone infrastructure. The year also saw steady growth in Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), with subscribers crossing 13 million, enabling faster broadband penetration across both urban and rural markets. From a device and semiconductor perspective, MediaTek highlighted the growing convergence of connectivity and intelligence at the edge. Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India, said, "We are empowering users with 'On-Device Generative AI'. Generative and Agentic AI will soon become central to edge-device experiences, while 5G and satellite (NTN) convergence will ensure seamless connectivity, even in the remotest areas." From a global technology standpoint, Nokia said India remains a critical manufacturing and innovation hub. "We are witnessing strong momentum across mobile networks, fixed wireless access, and fixed broadband as data consumption continues to grow nationwide," said Tarun Chhabra, Senior Vice President and Country Head, Nokia India, adding that AI-driven network automation and data centre expansion will increasingly define the next phase of growth. Industry leaders also pointed to a strategic shift from expansion to performance and resilience. Pankaj Malik, CEO of Invenia-STL Networks, said 2025 marked a move towards "secure, scalable, and intelligent digital foundations," with automation, cloud architectures and AI-led operations emerging as key differentiators for enterprises and networks. On the policy and manufacturing front, the sector benefited from Make-in-India and PLI schemes, enabling nearly 60 per cent import substitution in telecom products and boosting exports to Rs 18,406 crore in FY25. COAI Director General Lt Gen S P Kochhar said the focus on domestic manufacturing, cyber security and fraud prevention strengthened digital trust and positioned the sector for the Bharat 6G Vision, which targets a 10 per cent share in global 6G patents. Looking ahead to 2026, the industry expects sustained investments in networks, AI-led innovation and spectrum reforms. As Kochhar noted, with 5G scale achieved and foundational reforms underway, India's telecom sector is entering a phase where "innovation and trust will define competitiveness," setting the stage for the next decade of digital growth. (ANI)
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