September 2025

There have been several consequential changes in the telecom ecosystem in the past year. Satellite broadband (satcom) is set to be rolled out, after requisite policy changes. The draft New Telecom Policy sets ambitious roadmaps. Jio Platforms is lining up what could be India’s largest IPO. Operationally, Airtel and Jio have gone through with comprehensive 5G roll-outs, Vodafone Idea has started rolling out 5G and BSNL is rolling out 4G. Airtel, Jio and BSNL are offering FWA and fibre    connectivity to home. India’s fibre network is expanding at over twice the global rate. The three private operators have made calibrated tariff hikes, boosting Average Revenue Per User. BSNL may follow suit, once it has a serious 4G network. The New Telecom Policy (NTP) is built around six missions, namely, universal connectivity, fostering innovation, promoting domestic manufacturing, ensuring a secure and trusted network, enhancing ease of living and doing business, and advancing sustainable development. Those are accompanied by concrete targets tied to 2030. One aim is to double the sector’s contribution to the GDP and attract annual investments of Rs 1 trillion. The NTP also aims to double telecom-related exports and encourage startups. It aims to generate one million new jobs, and upskill one million current workers. Supported by a “6G Vision Document”, the NTP will also push to create   intellectual property for 6G. The NTP aims at 100 per cent 4G coverage and 90 per cent 5G coverage with 80 per cent fiberisation of towers by 2030. Security will be strengthened by adopting quantum- resistant cryptography. All this will happen even as the carbon footprint decreases by 30 per cent. 5G is already available in all districts, with nearly 400 million users. Affordable handsets and the adoption of cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and the internet of things (IoT) have driven uptake. Satcom will help close the digital divide in remote, underservedregions. Policy bottlenecks have been removed for satcom, with 100 per cent      FDI permitted under the automatic route. India will allocate spectrum via administrative assignment and TRAI’s recommendations on pricing are under  consideration. The Indian satcom market is projected to grow to $6.89 billion by 2030, from a base of $3.25 billion in 2025. Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications have been granted satcom licenses and Amazon’s application  is awaiting approval. Starlink has a distribution arrangement with Airtel and a retail tie-up with Reliance. Airtel is also invested in Eutelsat OneWeb. Data centre capacity has crossed 1.3 GW, and by 2030, another 3.4 GW of capacity is planned, to support applications with ultra-low latency and high bandwidth. Hyperscaling hubs have emerged. But more must be done to develop robust infrastructure. The DC industry must also overcome challenges such as unreliable power and a shortage of skilled professionals.  Riding the technology, telcos are reinventing themselves as “digital infracos”, expanding into end-to-end 5G and IoT, B2B 2X platforms, investments in AI, undersea cables, satellite connectivity, and data centres. Yet, the last-mile remains a bottleneck, limiting how infrastructure reaches end-users. Street furniture may be a critical enabler for scaling fibre and small-cell deployments  and tackling right-of-way challenges. Smart buildings are also increasingly the norm. Assuming the industry can follow through on all these plans and execute the NTP missions at scale, the telecom landscape promises to be soon transformed. The positive xternalities of the sector will, in turn, accelerate growth across the broader economy.