India has become one of the world's largest internet markets, largely due to affordable data. However, a significant vulnerability exists along a six-kilometre stretch of Mumbai's Arabian Sea coast, where 13 of India's 18 intercontinental submarine cables come ashore. These cables carry approximately 95% of India's international bandwidth to Europe, Africa, and West Asia. Anwesha Sen of the Takshashila Institution stated that this geographic concentration poses a critical vulnerability; if several cables were cut simultaneously, it would severely impact India's bandwidth to those regions.
While cable architecture allows for traffic rerouting to mitigate total service disruption, experts warn that even minor performance degradation could be costly for sectors such as banking, stock exchanges, and cloud services, particularly for AI infrastructure that relies on high-speed data transfers.
India accounts for about 20% of global data consumption but is connected to only around 3% of the world's submarine cables, with 21 cable landing stations compared to approximately 1,900 globally. Aruna Sundararajan, chairperson of the Broadband India Forum (BIF), emphasized the need to significantly increase the number of cable landing stations to support the country's digital economy.
A recent study by the Takshashila Institution highlighted that 11 of India's 18 international cables are over 20 years old, nearing their operational lifespan. Amajit Gupta, CEO of Lightstorm, noted that while retiring old cables is necessary, the focus should also be on expanding both terrestrial and subsea capacity to meet growing demand.
Cable faults, which occur frequently due to fishing, ship anchors, and natural hazards, pose a more common risk than deliberate attacks. India lacks domestic subsea cable-repair ships, relying on foreign vessels that must obtain permission to operate in Indian waters, which can delay repairs significantly.
Gupta pointed out that the real issue lies in India's dependence on foreign repair capacity and the regulatory delays involved. He stressed the importance of not just repairing old cables but also ensuring that new infrastructure can keep pace with the increasing demand driven by AI and data centers.
Government data indicates that installed data-center capacity has increased from 375 MW in 2020 to approximately 1,575 MW today. However, the planning and construction of new subsea cables can take several years, leading to potential lags in capacity expansion.
Sundararajan noted that fragmented governance complicates the approval process for subsea cables, with multiple agencies involved in construction and operation clearances. She advocates for a streamlined process led by the Department of Telecommunications to expedite approvals and enhance India's cable infrastructure.
To establish itself as a regional cable hub, India needs predictable regulation, improved infrastructure, and rapid repair mechanisms. Pooja Bhatt, an associate professor at OP Jindal Global University, highlighted the importance of building and maintaining domestic internet infrastructure for security and governance.
The Indian government has recognized submarine cable systems as critical telecommunications infrastructure, which may facilitate faster clearances and emergency repair mechanisms. Additionally, advancements in technology, such as Distributed Acoustic Sensing, could enhance monitoring of cable integrity.
While India is commissioning four new submarine cable systems and planning three more, the existing infrastructure remains fragile. The challenge lies in ensuring that the growth of data centers and AI capabilities is matched by adequate cable infrastructure and repair capacity.