New Delhi, March 31: India’s mobile data consumption continues to expand rapidly, with average monthly usage per user crossing 31 GB in 2025, reflecting an 18% CAGR over the past five years, according to a report by Nokia.
The growth is being driven by rising 5G adoption and increased usage of data-intensive services such as 4K video streaming, cloud gaming, and AI-based applications. Total mobile data traffic in the country exceeded 27 exabytes per month in 2025.
5G is emerging as a key growth driver, contributing nearly 47% of total traffic, with usage surging 70% year-on-year to 12.9 exabytes per month. Metro markets continue to lead adoption, where 5G accounts for 58% of overall data traffic, although uptake is accelerating across smaller cities and rural regions.
The expanding device ecosystem is further supporting this transition, with over 383 million 5G-capable devices among 892 million active 4G devices in 2025. More than 90% of smartphones shipped during the year were 5G-enabled.
The report also highlights the increasing role of artificial intelligence in driving future network demand, requiring telecom operators to scale infrastructure for higher capacity, lower latency, and advanced computing capabilities.
Looking ahead, India’s 5G subscriber base is projected to surpass 1 billion by 2031, underscoring sustained momentum in the country’s digital transformation.
