New Delhi

Indiais on track to connect up to 100 crore people to 5G technology by 2030, Union Communica-tions Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, highlighting the country's rapid digital transformation and its ambitions to emerge as a global leader in 6G technology.

Speaking at an event, Scindia said 5G services have already reached nearly 50 crore people across the country, describing the figure as equivalent to the entire population of Europe. He said the next phase of expansion would see the number of 5G users double over the next few years.

“When technology reaches every citizen, it creates opportunity, and when opportunity reaches eve-ry citizen, transformation becomes inevitable. Mobile phones are today in the hands of 1.33 billion people, data prices have fallen from Rs287 per GB to around Rs8 per GB. That is democratisation. That is Antyodaya. As we lay the foundation stone of the next chapter, we must examine how in-novations, technology and ideas from India can cross borders and go across the world," he said.

Highlighting the government's long-term vision, Scindia said India now has leadership that is fo-cused on anticipating future global technological trends and ensuring that the country is at the fore-front of those developments.

The minister asserted that India is preparing to lead the world on 6G and is actively participating in the global standard-setting process through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which are shaping the future of next-generation telecommunications.

"With 6G, I firmly believe we will combine the physical, the digital and intelligence into one seam-less ecosystem. Through the Bharat 6G Alliance and our work on global standards, India is prepar-ing to contribute at a level that was never possible before," the minister mentioned.

The minister said mobile internet rates in India have fallen by 97 per cent over the past decade, making digital connectivity significantly more affordable and accelerating the adoption of high-speed internet services across the country.