New Delhi, July 29 — India is projected to connect up to 100 crore people to 5G services by 2030, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday, outlining the country’s rapid digital expansion and its stated ambition to play a leading role in the development of 6G technology.

Speaking at an event, Scindia noted that 5G networks have already reached nearly 50 crore users—roughly equivalent to the population of Europe—and said the next phase of deployment is expected to double that figure within the coming years.

“When technology reaches every citizen, it creates opportunity, and when opportunity reaches every citizen, transformation becomes inevitable. Mobile phones are today in the hands of 1.33 billion people, data prices have fallen from Rs 287 per GB to around Rs 8 per GB. That is democratisation. That is Antyodaya,” he said.

Scindia linked the affordability gains to broader digital inclusion. Mobile internet rates in India have declined by approximately 97 per cent over the past decade, a reduction the minister described as a key driver of high-speed connectivity adoption across urban and rural areas.

On the longer-term technology roadmap, Scindia said India is positioning itself to contribute actively to global 6G standard-setting. The country is participating in processes led by the International Telecommunication Union and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project. Through the Bharat 6G Alliance, he added, India aims to help shape the next generation of telecommunications.

“With 6G, I firmly believe we will combine the physical, the digital and intelligence into one seamless ecosystem. Through the Bharat 6G Alliance and our work on global standards, India is preparing to contribute at a level that was never possible before,” the minister stated.

He characterised the current leadership approach as one focused on anticipating future technological shifts and ensuring India remains competitive in those domains. The remarks framed the expansion of 5G coverage and the early work on 6G as connected elements of a single digital strategy rather than separate programmes.

The projected rise from roughly 50 crore to 100 crore 5G users by 2030 would represent one of the largest single-market expansions of fifth-generation mobile technology worldwide, contingent on continued network rollout, device affordability and sustained demand for data services.