HYDERABAD: Telangana has emerged as one of the top performers in digital adoption and internet skills in the country, according to the latest ‘Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom 2025’ released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
The report highlights the state’s top-tier performance in online banking, digital literacy and mobile internet adoption between January and March 2025.
In the age group of 15-29 years, 87.8% of respondents from Telangana reported the ability to perform online banking transactions using mobile or computer devices — a staggering 20 percentage points higher than the national average of 68.7%. The state also reported a 94.5% capability rate in rural areas, defying common trends of urban-rural digital divide.
“This reflects the effectiveness of digital literacy campaigns and financial inclusion efforts rolled out across Telangana,” said an expert.
‘Dual-channel financial usage indicates digital maturity’
The report also stated that 32.7% of individuals aged between 15 and 29 in Telangana use both UPI and traditional net banking, compared to the all-India average of just 18.8%. This dual-channel adoption indicates a more digitally mature user base, comfortable with a range of financial technologies. It is worth noting that 77.2% of rural individuals use UPI compared to 58.8% in urban areas.
Telangana also outperformed the national average in digital skills. Around 33.6% of people aged 15-24 years in the state reported the ability to create electronic documents using word processing software, compared to the national average of 23.8%.
Experts attribute this to Telangana’s robust digital education initiatives, including integration of basic ICT training in school and vocational curriculum.
While many states continue to battle gaps in digital infrastructure and literacy, Telangana’s performance suggests a model for digital inclusion that effectively bridges rural-urban divides and empowers youth with practical technology skills.
The survey also revealed that only 84.3% of individuals aged 15-29 in Telangana accessed the internet primarily via mobile data, compared to a national average of 94.4%. The remaining 13.6% of Telangana’s youth accessed the internet using mobile phones connected to Wi-Fi, which is nearly three times the national average of 3.4%.
This shift is even more pronounced in urban pockets. Among urban males aged 15-29 in the state, 18.8% reported using mobile phones with Wi-Fi for internet access-substantially above the national trend. Urban females weren’t far behind, with 28.5% relying on Wi-Fi.
The experts said, “This pattern indicates deeper Wi-Fi penetration and possibly better broadband infrastructure in Telangana’s urban regions.”
Among those aged 15 and above in Telangana, 85.1% used mobile data for internet access, against 94.4% nationally. Again, Wi-Fi usage was significantly higher in the state (11.4%) than across India (4.5%).
Experts point to a combination of factors such as greater urbanisation and fiber optic rollout in cities like Hyderabad, competitive broadband pricing and bundling by ISPs as reasons for the increasing internet usage.