Updated 16 January 2026 at 16:29 IST
India Now Has World's Second-Largest 5G Base With Over 400 Million Users, China Still First
Since its launch in 2022, 5G services are now available across the country with a major base of 99.6 per cent and with a population coverage of 85% in the country.
- Tech News
- 2 min read
India has the 2nd largest 5G subscriber base, only second to China, and is among the fastest adopters of the technology in the world, says India's Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia.
"With over 400M+ 5G users, India today stands as the world's second-largest 5G subscriber base and among the fastest adopters globally", stated Scindia in his X post on Friday. He emphasised how India is setting global benchmarks in scale, speed and digital transformation.
Since its launch in 2022, 5G services are now available across the country with a major base of 99.6 per cent and with a population coverage of 85% in the country. As of March 2025, 4.69 lakhs 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been installed by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) across the country, which is one of the fastest rollouts of 5G networks, as per the data released by the Ministry of Communications in December 2025.
The ministry also stated that since the launch of 5G, around 25 crores mobile users have started using the 5G services, and 4.69 lakhs 5G BTSs have been installed across the country. Talking about remote area connectivity, the ministry pointed out that rural telephone connections grew 42.9 per cent, nearly double the urban increase, rising from 377.78 million in March 2014 to 539.83 million in September 2025.
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India's internet connections crossed the milestone of 100 crores to reach 100.29 crores, as against 25.15 crores in March 2014, registering a growth of 298.77%, the ministry stated.
In line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, the large-scale rollout of home-grown network infrastructure also gained significant momentum. "India became only the 5th country in the world to have its own 4G stack, upgradable to 5G, demonstrating India's commitment to technological self-sufficiency," said the ministry.
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"While it took decades to develop such technology in other parts of the world, it took just 2 years to develop such technology. Coupled with this, major strides were achieved in advancing indigenous 6G research and development under the ambitious Bharat 6G Mission," the ministry added.
Published By : Shubham Verma
Published On: 16 January 2026 at 16:29 IST