Internet Subscribers in India Cross 109 Crore, BharatNet Reaches 2.21 Lakh Gram Panchayats

India's digital infrastructure continues to grow, with internet subscribers crossing 109 crore across the country. The Central Government informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that broadband connectivity, mobile infrastructure, digital payments, and digital literacy have expanded significantly over the past several years.

Internet Subscribers Increased to Over 109 Crore

Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada, in a written reply, stated that internet subscribers rose from 25.15 crore in March 2014 to 109.27 crore in March 2026. Telephone connections also increased from 93.3 crore to more than 133 crore during the same period.

BharatNet Expansion in Rural India

The minister stated that BharatNet continues to expand broadband connectivity in rural and remote areas. As of June 2026, 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats had been made service-ready under the project, while BharatNet Point of Presence locations had become operational at 80,472 Gram Panchayats.

In addition, 24,784 mobile towers had been commissioned across the country under the Digital Bharat Nidhi-funded mobile scheme as of June 30, 2026.

UPI and Aadhaar Continue to Grow

The reply also highlighted the expansion of digital public infrastructure. According to the government, UPI now serves more than 55.49 crore individuals and 6.5 crore merchants through 731 banks, accounting for 85% of India's digital payments and nearly 50% of global real-time digital payments.

Aadhaar has crossed 1.44 billion generated numbers, while over ₹52 lakh crore has been transferred through Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer across 318 schemes of 56 ministries.

Digital Skills and Cyber Security

On digital skills, the government stated that over 6.39 crore people have been trained under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, while more than 34 lakh candidates have registered on the FutureSkills Prime portal, with over 23 lakh enrolled or trained in emerging technology courses.

The minister also outlined ongoing government efforts to strengthen cyber security and data protection through institutions such as CERT-In, the National Cyber Coordination Centre, and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre.

The reply stated that the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, along with the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, provides a comprehensive framework for the protection of digital personal data.

IndiaHap View

From IndiaHap's point of view, the growth in internet subscribers and BharatNet shows India's digital infrastructure is expanding rapidly. The next challenge will be ensuring reliable internet quality, affordable access, stronger cyber security, and better digital services in every rural and remote region.