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India's internet growth faces infrastructure risks from concentrated and aging undersea cables

Analysts warn that geographic concentration in Mumbai, aging lines, and a lack of domestic repair ships leave the country's surging data economy vulnerable.

Updated Sep 4, 2026 · 00:19 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • India accounts for approximately 20% of global data consumption but relies on only about 3% of the world's submarine cables, with most bandwidth concentrated along a single stretch of Mumbai coastline.
  • A majority of India's international subsea cables are nearing their nominal 25-year operational lifespan, and the nation lacks domestic repair vessels to quickly fix breaks.
  • Data centers, cloud services, and financial sectors face latency and bottleneck risks if cables fail and repair authorizations face regulatory delays.
  • Four new undersea cable systems are currently being commissioned to diversify landing points beyond Mumbai, while industry advocates call for streamlined regulatory approvals.

Key facts

  • At least 13 of India's 18 intercontinental undersea cables land within a six-kilometer stretch near Versova in Mumbai, carrying up to 95% of the country's westward international bandwidth.[BBC News]
  • According to the Broadband India Forum, India has 21 active and planned cable landing stations, representing roughly 1% of the approximately 1,900 stations worldwide.[BBC News]
  • A study by the Takshashila Institution reported that 11 of India's 18 international cables are more than 20 years old, approaching their nominal 25-year lifespan.[BBC News]
  • India possesses no domestic subsea cable-repair vessels, requiring reliance on foreign ships dispatched from Dubai or Singapore that must secure permits to operate in Indian waters.[BBC News]
  • Government data indicates India's installed data-center capacity grew from 375 megawatts in 2020 to approximately 1,575 megawatts.[BBC News]
  • The Indian government has officially designated submarine cable systems as critical telecommunications infrastructure.[BBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether newly planned cable routes and landing points can be completed quickly enough to prevent capacity shortfalls driven by rapid data-center and AI growth.[BBC News]
  • Whether the government will implement a single-window clearance system or establish dedicated domestic repair capacities as urged by industry groups.[BBC News]

Sources