Lok Sabha Question No. 1661 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: Lack of Access to Internet Hampered Digital Payments
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1661 ANSWERED ON 30 TH  JULY, 2025

## LACK OF ACCESS TO INTERNET HAMPERED DIGITAL PAYMENTS

## 1661.   SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of internet penetration in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the details of internet penetration in the rural areas, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether lack of access to internet has hampered digital payments in many areas and if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government thereon; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government during the last five years to improve the quality of digital access in rural India?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) & (b) As of 31 st  March, 2025, there are 969.10 million internet subscribers in the country which includes 407.69 million internet subscribers in the rural area of the country. The State/UT wise details are at Annexure-A .

(c) The total volume of digital payment transactions in the country has increased from 2071 crore in FY 2017-18 to 22,831 crore in FY 2024-25, growing at a CAGR of 41%.

(d) The Government is implementing various schemes under Digital Bharat Nidhi for expansion of internet facilities through installation of 4G mobile towers in the rural and remote areas of the country  under  4G  saturation  project.  In  addition,  Amended  BharatNet  Program  aims  to  provide broadband connectivity such as Wi-Fi Hotspots, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections etc. to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages on demand basis.

## Annexure-A referred to in Part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1661 for answer on 30.07.2025

| State/UT wise S.No.   | number of Internet Subscribers per 100 population State(s)   | at the end of Mar-25 Total Subscribers (in   | at the end of Mar-25 Total Subscribers (in   | at the end of Mar-25 Total Subscribers (in   |
|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| State/UT wise S.No.   | number of Internet Subscribers per 100 population State(s)   | Rural                                        | Urban                                        | Total                                        |
| 1                     | Andhra Pradesh                                               | 17.98                                        | 18.49                                        | 36.47                                        |
| 2                     | Arunachal Pradesh                                            | 0.54                                         | 0.39                                         | 0.93                                         |
| 3                     | Assam                                                        | 13.38                                        | 6.95                                         | 20.33                                        |
| 4                     | Bihar                                                        | 37.57                                        | 16.80                                        | 54.37                                        |
| 5                     | Chhattisgarh                                                 | 8.55                                         | 8.96                                         | 17.51                                        |
| 6                     | Goa                                                          | 0.63                                         | 1.78                                         | 2.41                                         |
| 7                     | Gujarat                                                      | 19.18                                        | 36.67                                        | 55.86                                        |
| 8                     | Haryana                                                      | 10.11                                        | 20.02                                        | 30.14                                        |
| 9                     | Himachal Pradesh                                             | 4                                            | 2.67                                         | 6.67                                         |
| 10                    | Jharkhand                                                    | 10.94                                        | 8.43                                         | 19.37                                        |
| 11                    | Karnataka                                                    | 21.47                                        | 38.83                                        | 60.30                                        |
| 12                    | Kerala                                                       | 18.22                                        | 17.84                                        | 36.06                                        |
| 13                    | Madhya Pradesh                                               | 21.13                                        | 28.36                                        | 49.50                                        |
| 14                    | Maharashtra                                                  | 32.84                                        | 76.62                                        | 109.46                                       |
| 15                    | Manipur                                                      | 0.98                                         | 1.32                                         | 2.30                                         |
| 16                    | Meghalaya                                                    | 1.34                                         | 0.75                                         | 2.08                                         |
| 17                    | Mizoram                                                      | 0.54                                         | 0.70                                         | 1.24                                         |
| 18                    | Nagaland                                                     | 0.98                                         | 0.68                                         | 1.66                                         |
| 19                    | Odisha                                                       | 17.10                                        | 8.78                                         | 25.89                                        |
| 20                    | Punjab                                                       | 9.60                                         | 17.59                                        | 27.19                                        |
| 21                    | Rajasthan                                                    | 26.07                                        | 25.97                                        | 52.04                                        |
| 22                    | Sikkim                                                       | 0.37                                         | 0.27                                         | 0.64                                         |
| 23                    | Tamil Nadu                                                   | 18.01                                        | 45.47                                        | 63.48                                        |
| 24                    | Telangana                                                    | 13.08                                        | 23.11                                        | 36.19                                        |
| 25                    | Tripura                                                      | 1.07                                         | 1.13                                         | 2.19                                         |
| 26                    | Uttar Pradesh                                                | 65.41                                        | 65.72                                        | 131.14                                       |
| 27                    | Uttarakhand                                                  | 4.81                                         | 5.05                                         | 9.86                                         |
| 28                    | West Bengal                                                  | 25.61                                        | 38.13                                        | 63.75                                        |
| Union Territories     | Union Territories                                            | Union Territories                            | Union Territories                            | Union Territories                            |
| 29                    | Andaman and Nicobar Islands                                  | 0.23                                         | 0.21                                         | 0.43                                         |
| 30                    | Chandigarh                                                   | 0.03                                         | 1.36                                         | 1.39                                         |
| 31                    | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu                     | 0.30                                         | 0.55                                         | 0.84                                         |
| 32                    | Delhi                                                        | 0.31                                         | 35.56                                        | 35.88                                        |
| 33                    | Jammu and Kashmir                                            | 4.58                                         | 5.34                                         | 9.92                                         |
| 34                    | Ladakh                                                       | 0.32                                         | 0.11                                         | 0.43                                         |
| 35                    | Lakshadweep                                                  | 0.05                                         | 0.004                                        | 0.05                                         |
| 36                    | Puducherry                                                   | 0.36                                         | 0.79                                         | 1.15                                         |
| Total                 |                                                              | 407.69                                       | 561.42                                       | 969.10                                       |

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