Internet subscribers cross 109 crore; 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats made service-ready under BharatNet: Govt
New Delhi, August 5
Internet subscribers in India have increased to over 109 crore, while 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats have been made service-ready under the BharatNet project as part of the government's efforts to strengthen digital infrastructure, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada, in a written reply, said 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.
The minister said 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's Point of Presence (PoPs) 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.
The reply also highlighted the expansion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). According to the government, UPI now serves more than 55.49 crore individuals and 6.5 crore merchants through 731 banks, accounting for 85 per cent of India's digital payments and nearly 50 per cent of global real-time digital payments.
Aadhaar has crossed 1.44 billion generated numbers, while over Rs 52 lakh crore has been transferred through Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) across 318 schemes of 56 ministries.
On digital skills, the government said over 6.39 crore people have been trained under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), 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 the government's ongoing 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 (I4C).
The reply said 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.
It further noted that the IndiaAI Mission, with an outlay of Rs 10,371.92 crore over five years, is being implemented through seven pillars, including AI compute infrastructure, indigenous foundation models, AI applications and startup financing.
— ANI
Reader Comments
109 crore internet subscribers is a massive achievement! From 25 crore in 2014 to this now, the digital revolution is real. UPI handling 85% of digital payments is the real game-changer — my 70-year-old mother now pays for vegetables using UPI. 🚀
The DBT numbers are impressive — Rs 52 lakh crore transferred directly to beneficiaries. This has eliminated middlemen and corruption in welfare schemes. My village's ration distribution has become so transparent now. Digital India is truly empowering the common citizen. 💯
Impressive statistics, but I'd like to see more emphasis on digital literacy beyond just training numbers. PMGDISHA trained 6.39 crore people, but are they actually using these skills? Quality over quantity should be the focus going forward.
Cyber security is my biggest concern. With 109 crore people online, we need stronger measures to protect elderly citizens and rural users from online scams. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act is a good step, but awareness at the grassroots level is equally important. 🛡️
The IndiaAI Mission with Rs 10,371 crore outlay shows serious intent, but I hope it doesn't become another top-heavy initiative. We need AI applications that solve real local problems — agriculture, healthcare, education in regional languages. That's where the real potential lies.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.