India expands rural telecom networks and 6G research
A production-linked incentive scheme aims to boost domestic telecom manufacturing in India.
India has reported further expansion of its telecommunications infrastructure, including wider 5G availability, rural mobile coverage and investment in domestic network technologies.
According to government figures, 5G services are now available in all states and union territories and in 99.9% of the country’s districts.
The number of 5G base transceiver stations increased from 140,623 in March 2023 to 562,971 by the end of June 2026.
Rural connectivity is being supported through BharatNet, which provides broadband infrastructure to village-level local government bodies and rural communities, and the 4G Saturation scheme for previously uncovered villages.
Around 24,000 mobile towers had been commissioned by June 2026 through projects funded by Digital Bharat Nidhi and other mobile connectivity programmes.
India is also continuing longer-term work on next-generation networks under its Bharat 6G Vision, which aims to support the domestic design and development of secure and intelligent 6G technologies.
By June 2026, the government had approved 136 research and development projects under the Telecom Technology Development Fund, with nearly ₹543 crore in sanctioned funding.
The projects cover areas including 6G, quantum communications, satellite and non-terrestrial networks, optical systems, an indigenous 5G core and telecom security.
A separate production-linked incentive scheme, introduced in 2021 with an outlay of ₹12,195 crore, supports domestic manufacturing of telecom and networking equipment.
Why does it matter?
India’s update links immediate connectivity goals with longer-term industrial and research policy. Rural broadband and wider mobile coverage can reduce access gaps. At the same time, investment in 6G, satellite networks, telecom security and domestic manufacturing could strengthen technological capacity and reduce dependence on imported equipment. However, district-level availability alone does not show whether users receive affordable, reliable and consistently high-quality services.
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