In News:

• India has improved its position in the Network Readiness Index 2025 (NRI 2025), moving up four places to secure 45th rank among 127 economies. The index is prepared by the Portulans Institute, a non-profit research and educational institute based in Washington DC.
• India’s overall score increased from 53.63 (2024) to 54.43 (2025), reflecting enhanced digital readiness and technological capacity.

About the Network Readiness Index

The NRI assesses how effectively economies leverage information and communication technologies (ICT) for development.

Coverage and Methodology:

• Covers 127 economies
• Based on 53 indicators
• Structured around four pillars:
  1. Technology
  2. People
  3. Governance
  4. Impact

The index maps a country’s preparedness to benefit from digital transformation and network-based economies.

India’s Key Achievements in NRI 2025

Global Rank 1 in:

• Annual investment in telecommunication services
• AI scientific publications
• ICT services exports
• E-commerce legislation

This highlights India’s leadership in telecom infrastructure expansion, artificial intelligence research output, digital services exports and regulatory framework for e-commerce.

Rank 2 in:

• Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH)/Building internet subions
• Mobile broadband internet traffic
• International internet bandwidth

These indicators reflect strong digital infrastructure growth and increasing data consumption.

Rank 3 in:

• Domestic market scale
• Income inequality (indicator within index framework)

India’s large market size enhances its digital ecosystem scalability.

Performance Relative to Income Level

• Ranked 2nd among lower-middle-income countries, after Vietnam.
• The report notes that India demonstrates greater network readiness than expected given its income level, indicating efficient digital transformation relative to economic capacity.

Significance for India

India’s improved ranking reflects:

• Rapid telecom infrastructure expansion
• Growth in AI research and digital innovation
• Strong ICT export performance
• Progressive digital governance and e-commerce regulation

This performance aligns with broader initiatives such as Digital India, expansion of broadband connectivity and promotion of AI-led innovation.