Draft telecom policy targets 1 mn jobs, ₹1 trn investment a year by 2030

The draft National Telecom Policy 2025 outlines plans to double annual telecom sector investment, create 1 million new jobs, and expand 5G coverage to 90% of India's population by 2030

The government aims to double annual investment in the telecommunications sector to ₹1 trillion, increase exports of telecom products, services, and startups by twofold, and create 1 million new jobs by 2030, according to the draft National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2025. The draft policy, released on Thursday, has invited stakeholder comments within the next 21 days.

 

The policy proposes that the telecom sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) should double within the next five years. Alongside creating 1 million new jobs, an equal number of people would be re-skilled or up-skilled to meet future industry demand.

 

For network infrastructure, the draft sets a 2030 goal of increasing tower fiberisation from the current 46 per cent to 80 per cent, and achieving 90 per cent 5G population coverage.  Under its mission of universal and meaningful connectivity, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has proposed connecting all government institutions at the village level and enabling the rollout of fixed-line broadband to 100 million households nationwide.

 

To expand rural telecom networks, the draft NTP proposes schemes under the Digital Bharat Nidhi, incentives for companies to promote fixed-line broadband in rural areas, and support for smaller internet service providers offering last-mile connectivity. 

 

The policy also suggests a light-touch regulatory framework for authorising submarine cable infrastructure, to streamline connectivity expansion. 

 

To promote domestic telecom equipment manufacturing, the NTP proposes the creation of telecom manufacturing zones with integrated infrastructure for telecom and network equipment design and production. It seeks to build an end-to-end supply chain for telecom and network products.

 

For research and talent development, the draft recommends establishing a network of 30 advanced research laboratories across top academic institutions, including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), to develop industry-ready workforce and drive cutting-edge innovation.

 

To enhance security measures and protect India’s telecom networks against emerging threats, the NTP has proposed that telecom infrastructure be developed that is secure against both quantum and classical computers, and can interoperate with existing communications protocols and telecom networks.

 

India’s telecom networks should promote endpoint security for telecom network devices by deploying an indigenous endpoint detection and response solution, the NTP has proposed. 

 

To enforce cybersecurity, frameworks based on the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, such as AI Incident Reporting, are used in telecom services and networks. 

Key proposals

• Universal and meaningful  connectivity for all
• Double the sectoral R&D spending on emerging telecom technologies
• Strengthen the security by adopting quantum-resistant cryptography
• Reduce carbon footprint by 30%
• Double the number of telecommunications startups