NEW DELHI: India’s pan-India monthly 5G data traffic grew 70% year-on-year to reach 12.9 exabytes (EB) in 2025, contributing nearly 47% of overall mobile broadband traffic, according to the 13th edition of the Mobile Broadband Index (MBiT) released by Nokia.
The report highlights that average monthly mobile data consumption per user rose to over 31 GB in 2025, reflecting an 18% compound annual growth rate over the past five years. This surge has been driven by the rapid expansion of enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and increasing demand for data-heavy applications such as AI-based services, 4K video streaming, and cloud gaming.
Overall mobile data traffic in India crossed 27 EB per month in 2025, underpinned by expanding 5G coverage and the growing availability of affordable 5G smartphones.
Metro circles continue to lead 5G adoption, with 5G accounting for 58% of total mobile data traffic in these markets—significantly higher than the previous year. At the same time, growth is accelerating across Category A, B, and C circles, indicating deeper nationwide penetration.
India’s device ecosystem is also evolving rapidly. The number of active 4G devices reached 892 million in 2025, of which over 383 million are 5G-capable. Additionally, more than 90% of smartphones shipped during the year supported 5G, strengthening readiness for multi-band deployments. The report also underlines the emerging impact of the AI supercycle, which is expected to reshape network traffic patterns. As AI-enabled applications, immersive technologies, and autonomous systems scale up, telecom networks will need to evolve toward AI-native, intent-based architectures capable of handling higher uplink demand, ultra-low latency, and distributed computing workloads.
“India’s mobile broadband landscape is entering a new phase of evolution, driven by rapid 5G adoption and the growing influence of AI-led applications. As networks transform to support new usage patterns and intelligent services, Nokia remains committed to partnering with telcos to build scalable, high-performance and future-ready connectivity infrastructure,” said Vibha Mehra, Country Manager–Designate for India at Nokia.
The MBiT Index projects that India’s 5G subscriber base could exceed 1 billion by 2031. India already has the world’s second-largest 5G subscriber base and the second-highest level of 5G data consumption, reinforcing its position as a global leader in next-generation connectivity.