India improves position on Network Readiness Index

Leads in several indicators, secures top rank in “Annual investment in telecommunication services”, “AI scientific publications”, “ICT services exports” and “E-commerce legislation”

GN Bureau | February 9, 2026


#Technology   #Governance  
(Illustration: Ashish Asthana)
(Illustration: Ashish Asthana)

India has improved its position by four slots and is now placed at 45th rank in the Network Readiness Index 2025 (NRI 2025) report prepared by Portulans Institute, Washington DC.
 
The report, released on February 4, maps the network-based readiness landscape of 127 economies based on their performance in four pillars: Technology, People, Governance and Impact, covering a total of 53 indicators, according to a Ministry of Communication note released on Monday. 

India has not only improved its ranking but has also improved its score from 53.63 out of 100 in 2024 to 54.43 out of 100 in 2025. It is noteworthy that India leads in several indicators. 

The report by the independent, non-profit research and educational institute states that India secured the first rank in “Annual investment in telecommunication services”, “AI scientific publications”, “ICT services exports” and “E-commerce legislation”, 2nd rank in “FTTH/Building Internet subscriptions”, “Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country” and “International Internet bandwidth”, and 3rd rank in “Domestic market scale” and “Income Inequality”.

The NRI 2025 report states that India has greater network readiness than would be expected given its income level. India is ranked 2nd in the group of lower-middle-income countries.
 

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