India Scores 43% on Internet Resilient Index, Ranks Sixth in South Asia, says Internet Society

By: Asia Business Outlook Team | Wednesday, 09 August 2023

India ranked sixth in the South Asian region with an overall score of 43 percent on the Internet Resilience Index (IRI). According to the global non-profit organisation Internet Society, India's security is above average, owing to the country's adoption of IPv6 (the newest Internet Protocol to accommodate growing networks). In the IRI ranking, Bhutan (58 percent), Bangladesh (51 percent), Maldives (50 percent), Sri Lanka (47 percent), and Nepal (43 percent) are ahead of India.

In terms of market readiness, India's Internet market's ability to self-regulate and provide affordability ranks relatively low. India ranks 31 percent in infrastructure, 40 percent in performance, 66 percent in security, and 35 percent in market readiness, according to the IRI's four pillars. The score in infrastructure assessed the existence and availability of physical infrastructure for Internet connectivity in India.

"India's mobile coverage is far greater than its fixed network coverage," the report stated. The performance score assessed India's networks' ability to provide end-users with seamless and reliable access to Internet services. Further, mobile performance in India (29 percent) is nearly half that of fixed network performance (55 percent). The score in security measured India's networks' ability to resist intentional or unintentional disruptions through the adoption of security technologies and best practises, while the score in market readiness measured India's market's ability to self-regulate and provide affordable prices to end users by maintaining a diverse and competitive market.