October 9, 2025, New Delhi: India's digital economy has tripled to $370 billion in 2023, from $108 billion a decade ago, and is on track to surpass $1 trillion by 2030. However, a landmark new report released today by the GSMA warns that unless critical innovation and adoption gaps are closed, momentum could falter before India achieves its sovereignty goals. digital by 2047.
Launched today at the India Mobile Congress, the 'Towards digital sovereignty in India' The report reveals that India performs above the average of Asia Pacific countries in most dimensions of the economy. GSMA Digital Nations Indexwith strengths in security and infrastructure. India also shows strong performance in the people dimension, reflecting advances in digital skills and inclusion initiatives.
The government's flagship Digital India plan and its related programs have had substantial social and economic impact. In addition to promoting digital and financial inclusion, the country's digital economy accounted for 11.7% of gross value added by 2023, or approximately $370 billion.
However, the report points out that innovation is India's Achilles heel. While India leads in digital public infrastructure and mobile device deployment, it lags in R&D investment, private sector innovation, and retention of skilled professionals. Without urgent action, India risks suffering a “brain drain dividend” that benefits global competitors rather than boosting domestic growth.
Connectivity gaps also remain stark: nearly 47% of Indians are still not connected and women are 33% less likely than men to use mobile Internet. This entrenched digital gender divide could hold back inclusive growth if not urgently addressed.
Vivek Badrinath, CEO of GSMA, said: “India has emerged as a digital powerhouse over the past decade, with world-leading innovation in digital public infrastructure and 5G deployment. But to maintain this momentum, India must focus on innovation, boost R&D, strengthen data governance and ensure that all citizens, especially women and rural communities, can benefit. True digital sovereignty means leaving no one behind.”
Key priorities for India's digital sovereignty journey
The report sets out four urgent priorities:
- Accelerate cross-sector collaboration: Unite government, industry, and partners to fight fraud, close usage gaps, and scale innovation.
- Unlocking greater investment: enabling fiber deployment, data centers and R&D through supportive policy frameworks.
- Sustaining global cooperation: Leveraging India's leadership in the Global South to expand technology exports and standards influence.
- Strengthen institutional capacity: prepare regulatory and governance frameworks for the next wave of technologies: AI, 6G, blockchain and quantum computing.
GSMA at India Mobile Congress 2025
The GSMA is a proud global industry partner of the India Mobile Congress, supporting dialogue and collaboration across the mobile and digital ecosystem. At IMC 2025, GSMA will showcase how mobile connectivity and innovation can accelerate India's digital growth, with highlights including:
- GSMA Speakers including GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath and Chief Regulatory Officer John Giusti, who joined high-level sessions on 5G and AI, highlighting the GSMA Open Gateway initiative and digital inclusion.
- GSMA Pavilion – A hub showcasing global programs and initiatives of GSMA members, from spectrum and digital inclusion to mobile for development.
- An inaugural GSMA Open Gateway Hackathon, jointly organized with IMC, Nokia and Indian mobile operators. The hackathon has received more than 2,300 registrations and brings together developers and startups to leverage network APIs in solutions to address fraud, enable smart cities, and expand inclusion.
- The GSMA also launched “5G in Action: Industrial Use Cases Driving Digital Transformation in India,” showcasing six live deployments – from connected ambulances to India’s first private 5G smart factory – that demonstrate how 5G is already transforming industries.
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About the GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization that unifies the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver critical innovation for positive business environments and social change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA offers its members three broad pillars: connectivity for good, industry services and solutions, and outreach. This activity includes policy advocacy; address today's biggest social challenges; underpin the technology and interoperability that make mobile devices work; and provide the world's largest platform to bring together the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
Media contact
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