JSA Prism | Telecommunications

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Draft National Telecom Policy – 2025

On July 24, 2025, the Department of Telecommunications (“DoT”) released the Draft National Telecom Policy 2025 (“Draft NTP-25”) for public consultation. The Draft NTP-25 proposed to ensure India’s strategic commitment to telecommunications and respond to emerging opportunities and challenges presented by next generation technologies. The Draft NTP-25 aims to build on the progress made under the National Digital Communications Policy 2018, while addressing the evolving challenges and aiming to align India’s telecom sector with current and future technology security needs, with the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) driven security mechanisms. The Draft NTP-25 is India’s blueprint for the transformation and modernisation of its telecommunications sector, aiming to make the country a global leader in digital innovation. The comments on the Draft NTP-25 may be submitted by the public within 21(twenty-one) days from the date of the notification.

Background

The Draft NTP-25 seeks to empower every Indian with secure, affordable, and meaningful connectivity, positioning India as a trusted global provider of telecom products and services. It is based on 6 (six) key strategic missions to achieve its objectives that are summarised below:

Universal and meaningful connectivity:
Mission 1 of the Draft NTP-25 focuses on universal and meaningful connectivity and aims to achieve complete 4G coverage and 90% 5G coverage across the country. It seeks to ensure device accessibility for all, increase fiberisation of telecom towers to 80%, and connect all Gram Panchayats and government institutions at the village level with high-speed fiber networks. The Draft NTP-25 also targets fixed broadband access for 10,00,00,000 (ten crore) households and the deployment of 1,000,000 (one million) public Wi-Fi hotspots and supports test zones for satellite network connections and 6G research to reach remote areas, expressly acknowledging satellite networks as essential for expanding connectivity. Strategies include expanding the telecom network through initiatives like Digital Bharat Nidhi, promoting hybrid access technologies such as mobile, satellite, and Wi-Fi, and enhancing service quality using crowd-sourced data and stringent benchmarks.

Innovation:
Mission 2 of the Draft NTP-25focuses on innovation, envisions India as one of the top ten global hubs for telecom innovation. It aims to secure a 10% global share in 6G-related intellectual property rights and support 500 telecom tech startups. The Draft NTP-25 promotes cutting-edge research in AI, quantum technologies, blockchain, and next-generation networks, while encouraging collaboration among industry, academia, and government. It also plans to establish 10 (ten) centres of excellence and increase India’s participation in global standards development.

Domestic manufacturing:
Mission 3 of Draft NTP-25 focuses on boosting domestic telecom manufacturing. It targets a 150% increase in domestic telecom manufacturing output and aims to achieve 50% import substitution through locally designed and manufactured products. It proposes the creation of Telecom Manufacturing Zones (TMZs), the establishment of the Indian Institute of Telecom Technology (IIT2), and the generation of one million new jobs in the sector. Strategies include developing industry-aligned educational programs, providing financial support for manufacturing, promoting the ‘Made in India’ brand globally, and harmonising certification standards with international norms.

Secure and trusted network
Mission 4 of Draft NTP-25 focuses on building secure and trusted networks. It proposes a National Telecom SafeNet to protect the country’s telecom infrastructureand biometric-based identification for telecom users and aims to reduce the response time to cybersecurity incidents by 50%. The policy emphasises the adoption of quantumsafe cryptography, AI-based cybersecurity standards, and endpoint security solutions. It also includes measures for conducting cybersecurity audits, monitoring satellite communications, and empowering citizens through awareness tools and apps to prevent telecom fraud.

Ease of living and doing business
Mission 5 of Draft NTP-25, highlights the ease of living and doing business, aims to improve user experience and business operations by reducing grievance redressal time by half, centralizing rural broadband demand aggregation, and implementing the Telecommunications Act 2023 in a digital-first manner. It seeks to simplify compliance processes, expedite spectrum allocation, and promote infrastructure sharing. Strategies include intelligent infrastructure planning using digital twins, unified grievance portals, and the development of a dynamic national spectrum roadmap.

Sustainable development
Mission 6 of Draft NTP-25, focuses on sustainable development, sets a goal to reduce the telecom sector’s carbon footprint by 30% and ensure that 30% of telecom towers are powered by renewable energy sources. It promotes circular economy practices, comprehensive e-waste management, and integration with the Indian Carbon Market. Strategies include AI-enabled energy optimization, green procurement, and the establishment of a centre of excellence focused on sustainability in the telecom sector.

Conclusion

The Draft NTP-25 aims to provides a regulatory framework that helps liberalise India’s telecommunications sector and marks a transformative leap in India’s digital journey. By aligning technological advancement with sustainability, security, and economic growth, NTP-25 sets the stage for India to not only bridge the digital divide but also lead the global telecom revolution. As the country moves toward becoming a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, this policy will serve as a cornerstone for building a connected and future-ready India.

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