India Ranks Among Top 10 Globally in Internet Blackout Preparedness, Yet Submarine Cable Dependence Remains a Key Vulnerability

Recent Developments:

• India ranked 9th globally among nearly 100 countries in preparedness to withstand a major internet disruption, according to a study by TRG Datacenters, a United States-based digital infrastructure provider.
• The United States secured the 1st position with a vulnerability score of 0, followed by Indonesia and the United Kingdom.
• India obtained a vulnerability score of 23.4, reflecting comparatively strong digital resilience, although dependence on a limited number of international submarine cable routes remains a significant concern.
• The ranking highlights the growing strategic importance of digital infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity, and network redundancy in ensuring uninterrupted digital connectivity.

India's Performance in Internet Blackout Preparedness:

Overall Ranking and Vulnerability Score:

• India ranked 9th globally for its ability to withstand a large-scale internet disruption.
• The study uses a vulnerability score, where a lower score indicates stronger resilience against digital infrastructure failures.

Submarine Cable Connectivity:

• India is connected to the global internet through 22 submarine fibre-optic cable systems, the lowest among the top ten ranked countries.
• In comparison:
• United States – 115 submarine cables.
• Indonesia – 72 submarine cables.
• United Kingdom – 65 submarine cables.
• A relatively lower number of international cable routes reduces route diversity and increases dependence on common infrastructure.

Internet Exchange Points:

• India has 40 Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) that enable domestic internet service providers and networks to exchange traffic directly.
• Internet Exchange Points:
• Improve internet speed by reducing routing distance.
• Lower network costs.
• Reduce dependence on foreign transit networks.
• Maintain domestic connectivity during international cable disruptions.

Electricity Infrastructure:

• Around 99.5% of India's population has access to electricity.
• Reliable electricity supports uninterrupted functioning of:
• Data centres.
• Cable Landing Stations.
• Telecommunication networks.
• Internet Exchange Points.

Cybersecurity Preparedness:

• India received a cybersecurity readiness score of 98.5 out of 100, indicating strong capability to protect critical digital infrastructure against cyber threats and network disruptions.
• Strong cybersecurity reduces the likelihood of disruptions arising from malicious attacks.

Internet Usage:

• Approximately 70% of India's population uses the internet.
• High internet penetration increases the economic, governance, and social consequences of prolonged internet disruptions.

Strengths and Vulnerabilities of India's Digital Infrastructure:

Major Strengths:

• India's resilience is supported by:
• A wide network of Internet Exchange Points.
• Near-universal electricity availability.
• High cybersecurity preparedness.
• Rapid expansion of domestic data centre infrastructure. India's operational data centre capacity has increased from 375 MW in 2020 to over 1500 MW by 2025, with further growth expected.

Key Vulnerabilities:

• Limited submarine cable diversity creates dependence on a small number of international routes.
• Multiple telecom operators may rely upon:
• Common submarine cables.
• Shared cable landing stations.
• Common power infrastructure.
• Shared terrestrial fibre routes.
• Such shared infrastructure creates single points of failure, increasing systemic risk during disruptions.

Evidence Highlighting India's Exposure:

Red Sea Submarine Cable Incident:

• During September 2025, damage to submarine cables near Saudi Arabia slowed internet services across India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates.
• The incident demonstrated that disruptions occurring outside India's territorial waters can still affect domestic digital connectivity.
• Although complete outages were avoided through traffic rerouting, users experienced increased latency and slower internet speeds.

Internet Blackout:

Meaning:

• An internet blackout refers to the complete or partial loss of internet connectivity across a locality, region, or country.
• It may affect international connectivity, domestic networks, or both, depending on the nature of the disruption.

Major Causes:

• Damage to submarine fibre-optic cables.
• Cyberattacks targeting critical digital infrastructure.
• Large-scale power failures.
• Hardware or software failures.
• Natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
• Deliberate sabotage or armed conflict.
• Human activities such as ship anchors and fishing operations damaging submarine cables.

Components of Internet Infrastructure:

Submarine Fibre-Optic Cables:

• More than 99% of international internet data traffic is carried through submarine telecommunication cables, making them the backbone of the global digital economy.
• These cables connect continents and support:
• International communication.
• Banking and financial transactions.
• Cloud computing.
• Digital commerce.
• Government services.

Cable Landing Stations:

• Cable Landing Stations are facilities where submarine cables connect with terrestrial communication networks.
• They distribute international internet traffic into domestic fibre networks.

Internet Exchange Points:

• Internet Exchange Points allow internet service providers to exchange domestic traffic locally instead of routing it through foreign networks.
• Strong domestic exchange infrastructure improves network resilience during international disruptions.

Data Centres:

• Data centres store, process, and distribute digital information.
• A geographically distributed network of data centres reduces dependence on distant facilities and strengthens disaster recovery capabilities.

Traffic Rerouting During Cable Failures:

How Rerouting Works:

• When one submarine cable fails, internet traffic is redirected through:
• Alternative submarine cables.
• Different cable landing stations.
• Other Internet Exchange Points.
• Backup terrestrial fibre networks.
• Traffic rerouting usually prevents complete internet outages but may lead to:
• Higher latency.
• Reduced internet speed.
• Network congestion.

Impact of a Major Internet Blackout:

Economic Impact:

• Disruption of:
• Digital payments.
• Banking services.
• Stock markets.
• E-commerce.
• Cloud-based businesses.

Governance Impact:

• Interruptions in:
• Digital governance platforms.
• Public service delivery.
• Emergency response systems.
• Law enforcement communication.

Social Impact:

• Reduced access to:
• Online education.
• Telemedicine.
• Social communication.
• Remote working platforms.

Measures to Strengthen India's Digital Resilience:

Infrastructure Measures:

• Diversify international submarine cable routes.
• Establish additional Cable Landing Stations across different coastal locations.
• Expand domestic optical fibre networks.
• Promote geographically distributed Internet Exchange Points.
• Increase regional data centre capacity.

Operational Measures:

• Develop robust disaster recovery mechanisms.
• Conduct regular network failover testing.
• Ensure genuine route diversity across telecom operators.
• Strengthen protection of critical digital infrastructure through continuous cybersecurity monitoring.

Policy Measures:

• Promote public-private investment in resilient digital infrastructure.
• Enhance international cooperation for protection and rapid repair of submarine cable systems.
• Integrate digital infrastructure resilience into national critical infrastructure protection strategies. Recent international recommendations also emphasize coordinated action to improve submarine cable resilience and protect essential digital services.

Relevance for India:

Strategic Importance:

• India's expanding Digital Public Infrastructure, growing digital economy, increasing cloud adoption, and expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem require highly resilient communication infrastructure.
• Reliable internet connectivity is increasingly essential for economic growth, national security, financial stability, and digital governance.

Value Addition for UPSC:

Important Terms:

• Internet Blackout.
• Digital Resilience.
• Submarine Fibre-Optic Cable.
• Cable Landing Station.
• Internet Exchange Point (IXP).
• Route Diversity.
• Network Redundancy.
• Critical Information Infrastructure.
• Disaster Recovery.
• Failover Mechanism.

Important Institutions and Initiatives:

• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is the national agency for responding to cybersecurity incidents.
• National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) protects critical information infrastructure under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
• BharatNet aims to expand high-speed broadband connectivity to rural India.
• Digital India Programme seeks to strengthen digital infrastructure as a core utility for governance and public service delivery