Economic Survey flags sharp rise in tele-density and near-universal 5G coverage

New Delhi: The Economic Survey 2025-26 reported strong tele-density growth, with India’s tele-density rising to 86.76 per cent and 5G services becoming available in 99.9 per cent of districts.

The survey, tabled in Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said infrastructure in India had evolved beyond physical assets. Instead, it now includes digital public infrastructure, clean energy systems, resilient water management, and future-ready technologies. At the same time, the survey noted that alongside highways, railways, ports, and energy systems, the country expanded data systems and renewable-aligned digital assets.

In the telecom sector, the survey said government policy focused on building a digitally empowered ecosystem based on inclusive connectivity, accelerated development, and secure networks. As a result, tele-density increased from 75.23 per cent to 86.76 per cent, thereby narrowing the rural-urban digital divide. Moreover, sharp declines in wireless data prices led to a rapid rise in monthly data consumption, highlighting the role of affordability in mass digital adoption.

Similarly, the survey said India’s IT infrastructure strengthened digital governance and emerging technologies. As of June 2025, installed data centre capacity stood at about 1,280 MW, with 130 private data centres and 49 government-run facilities. Looking ahead, driven by cloud computing, artificial intelligence, IoT, and 5G adoption, capacity is projected to expand to nearly 4 GW by 2030.

Tele-density growth reflects wider infrastructure expansion

Beyond digital networks, the survey also highlighted progress in social and emerging sectors. For instance, it said over 81 per cent of rural households had access to clean tap water under the Jal Jeevan Mission as of October 2025. In addition, it cited initiatives such as Namami Gange, the C-Flood Platform, the National Register of Specified Dams 2025, and the River Cities Alliance Action Plan.

In tourism, meanwhile, the survey noted the revamp of Swadesh Darshan as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 to promote sustainable destinations. Likewise, it highlighted the PRASHAD scheme for integrated development of pilgrimage and heritage sites.

The survey also reported key milestones in the space sector. Currently, India operates 56 active space assets. Notably, in 2025, India became the fourth nation to achieve autonomous satellite docking under the SpaDeX mission. Additionally, the country marked the 100th launch from Sriharikota with the GSLV-F15 mission that placed the NVS-02 satellite into orbit.