India Surpasses 400 Million 5G Users, Becomes World’s Second-Largest 5G Market

India has solidified its position as the world’s second-largest 5G market, with more than 400 million subscribers, trailing only China, according to recent government statements and industry reports.

Indian Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia announced the milestone in mid-January, stating that the country achieved this subscriber base in just over three years since commercial 5G services launched in late 2022. “With over 400M+ 5G users, India today stands as the world’s second-largest 5G subscriber base and among the fastest adopters globally,” Scindia posted on X, highlighting the nation’s rapid scale, speed, and digital transformation.

This growth has positioned India ahead of major markets such as the United States (around 350 million 5G users), the European Union (approximately 200 million), and Japan (about 190 million), based on comparative figures cited by the minister and telecom analysts.

The rollout, driven by operators like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and others, includes over 518,000 5G base stations deployed by the end of 2025, with services now covering 99.6% of districts and reaching roughly 85% of the population.

Recent reports from Opensignal’s February 2026 Mobile Network Experience analysis confirm the scale, noting more than 400 million 5G users by late 2025 and ongoing improvements in performance metrics like download speeds, where India ranks among the top 10 large-area countries globally.

The achievement underscores India’s aggressive push in next-generation connectivity, enabling enhanced mobile broadband, streaming, IoT applications, and broader economic digitalization. As the market matures, focus is shifting toward sustaining quality at scale amid rising data traffic.