India's 5G networks are evolving towards programmable, AI-enabled infrastructure, with Ericsson linking the rollout to 5G SA, AI use cases and the transition to 6G. According to Ericsson's CEO for Southeast Asia, Australia and India Andres Vicente, India has deployed 5G at a significantly faster pace than the global average, with 95% of the population covered by mid-band 5G compared with an average of 45% globally. The scale of deployment is translating into substantial usage, with India now having more than 430 million 5G mobile subscriptions, accounting for around 35% of total subscriptions, while 43% of mobile traffic is running over 5G. As per Ericsson, India also has the highest average mobile data consumption per user globally, at around 37 GB per month. Vicente emphasized that "The country has done an impressive investment on 5G technology. And the good news is that the demand is here."
India has witnessed a dramatic reduction in data costs, with one GB of data costing only ₹8 today, compared to ₹268 in 2014. According to Scindia's statement, average monthly data usage per customer has increased 140 times, from 0.26 MB in 2014 to 36 MB today. The minister emphasized that every drop in cost, every increase in usage has expanded that canvas in which every single Indian can connect, can create, and can innovate. This cost reduction has been instrumental in India's rapid digital transformation, with the country's broadband customer base growing from 60 million in 2014 to more than 1.1 billion today, while maintaining 1.35 billion mobile customers. As per Rediff Moneynews, Scindia noted that India's digital journey was moving from "connecting the next billion" to "enabling the next billion possibilities". The country now boasts 1.1 billion broadband users and 1.35 billion mobile customers, representing significant growth since the first IMC in September 2017.
The next phase of India's 5G evolution is being shaped by the transition to 5G Standalone (5G SA), which allows networks to become programmable and support differentiated service levels. According to Ericsson's Vicente, around 65% of India's 5G subscribers now have 5G SA-capable handsets, translating to around 425 million devices that can support the capabilities of standalone networks. "What 5G is contributing to is the evolution towards 5G Standalone. And that means that networks become programmable, that you can differentiate different service levels on the network," he explained. This transition enables programmable, AI-enabled networks that can support advanced use cases and the eventual transition to 6G technologies. The 5G SA capabilities allow for differentiated service levels, network slicing, and enhanced performance that will be crucial for India's digital infrastructure evolution.
Reliance Jio is developing home-grown technologies, patents and network architecture that could support India's ambitious 6G ambitions by 2030. According to latest reports, Jio Platforms and its subsidiaries had filed 6,817 patents covering 4G, 5G, 6G, cloud and AI technologies by March 2026, with more than 1,009 patents granted globally. The company has entered the top 20 of the World Intellectual Property Organization's Patent Cooperation Treaty rankings, positioning itself strategically for future 6G standards development. Jio's research spans communications, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, with 6G forming part of that wider technology programme. The company demonstrated several components of an indigenous, pre-standards 6G technology stack at previous India Mobile Congress, including a large-scale antenna system known as gigantic MIMO (gMIMO) using 1,024 antenna elements for centimetre-wave spectrum. Jio claims this approach could eventually deliver up to 10 times the network capacity and between eight and 10 times the throughput of 5G, though these are development targets rather than commercial performance figures.
India's digital public infrastructure has achieved remarkable global leadership, with UPI accounting for 84% of digital transactions in India and 49% of the world's digital transactions. According to Scindia's statement, UPI processes 260 billion transactions annually worth USD 3.4 trillion, with the technology successfully exported to 11 other countries. The BharatNet programme, a USD 15 billion government-funded initiative, will provide middle-mile connectivity to close to 2.6 lakh gram panchayats and on-demand connectivity to the remaining 3.8 lakh villages, ensuring 100 Mbps connection to every home as demanded by citizens. This infrastructure development supports India's position as a global technology leader in wireless communication and digital services.
