In an interview with TimesTech, Dr Bondada Raghavendra Rao, Chairman & Managing Director, Bondada Group, discusses why fiberization is becoming the backbone of India’s digital economy. He highlights the critical role of fiber networks in supporting 5G, AI, smart cities, rural connectivity, and future-ready digital infrastructure while addressing key challenges around deployment, policy reforms, and nationwide connectivity expansion.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: India’s digital ecosystem is rapidly evolving with 5G, AI-driven applications, and smart infrastructure. In this landscape, how critical is fiberization to sustaining long-term telecom growth in the country?
Raghavendra: Fiberization is no longer just a telecom infrastructure requirement; it is becoming the backbone of India’s digital economy. As technologies like 5G, AI, edge computing, smart mobility, and Industry 4.0 mature, the demand for ultra-low latency, high-capacity, and always-on networks will increase exponentially. None of this can be sustainably supported without deep fiber penetration.
5G, in particular, is only as strong as the fiber network supporting it. While spectrum creates wireless access, fiber provides the high-speed transport layer that carries enormous volumes of data between towers, data centers, enterprises, and cloud ecosystems. In many ways, fiber is the invisible engine powering India’s digital transformation.
Going forward, India’s competitiveness as a digital-first economy will depend on how aggressively we invest in scalable fiber infrastructure. Countries leading the next wave of innovation are those building resilient digital highways today. For India, fiberization will not only support telecom growth but also enable innovation in healthcare, education, manufacturing, fintech, and e-governance at a national scale.
TimesTech: Despite aggressive 5G rollouts, India still faces gaps in fiber infrastructure. How do you assess the current state of fiberization in India compared to the growing demand for high-speed connectivity and data consumption?
Raghavendra: India has made commendable progress in expanding digital connectivity, especially with one of the fastest 5G rollouts globally. However, the pace of fiberization still needs to accelerate significantly to match the scale of future demand. Data consumption in India is among the highest in the world, driven by video streaming, cloud adoption, AI workloads, digital payments, and connected devices.
At present, a large percentage of telecom towers in India are yet to be fully fiberized compared to mature digital economies. This creates capacity limitations, especially as networks become denser and applications become more data-intensive. The challenge is not just about urban connectivity anymore; it is about preparing for a hyperconnected future where every sector relies on real-time digital infrastructure.
The next phase of India’s telecom evolution will require a transition from selective fiber deployment to large-scale, nationwide fiber expansion. We need to move from viewing fiber as telecom infrastructure to recognizing it as national infrastructure, much like roads, ports, and power grids.
TimesTech: What are some of the biggest roadblocks slowing down fiber deployment in India, particularly around right-of-way approvals, infrastructure costs, and execution timelines?
Raghavendra: One of the biggest challenges in fiber deployment continues to be fragmented right-of-way (RoW) processes across states and local bodies. Despite policy improvements, approvals often vary significantly between jurisdictions, leading to delays, operational uncertainty, and increased project costs. For an infrastructure sector that depends heavily on execution speed, these delays can impact nationwide rollout targets.
Another major factor is the high cost of deployment, especially in difficult terrains and semi-urban or rural regions where returns may not be immediately visible. Fiber projects are capital-intensive and require long-term investment vision. Additionally, frequent road digging permissions, restoration costs, and coordination gaps between civic agencies create further operational complexity.
There is also a growing need for infrastructure-sharing models to optimize investments. Instead of multiple parallel deployments, collaborative infrastructure ecosystems can improve efficiency and accelerate execution. As India scales its digital ambitions, we must adopt faster approval mechanisms, standardized regulations, and technology-driven project execution models to make fiber deployment more sustainable and future-ready.
TimesTech: As smart cities, cloud services, and IoT adoption continue to expand, how will robust fiber networks influence the success of these digital initiatives across urban and rural India?
Raghavendra: The success of smart cities and connected digital ecosystems will fundamentally depend on the strength of the underlying fiber infrastructure. Technologies such as IoT, AI-enabled surveillance, intelligent traffic systems, smart utilities, autonomous industrial operations, and cloud-based public services generate massive amounts of real-time data. Fiber networks provide the speed, reliability, and scalability required to manage this digital intelligence efficiently.
In urban India, robust fiber infrastructure will enable smarter governance, sustainable mobility, efficient public services, and stronger digital economies. At the same time, in rural India, fiber can become a transformative equalizer by enabling telemedicine, digital education, agri-tech platforms, e-governance, and financial inclusion.
What is important to understand is that digital infrastructure today is directly linked to economic productivity and social development. Fiber networks will not just connect devices; they will connect to opportunities. The future of India’s smart infrastructure vision will therefore depend on how deeply and inclusively we build these digital networks across the country.
TimesTech: Rural connectivity and digital inclusion remain major priorities for the government. How can telecom infrastructure players contribute towards bridging the digital divide through faster and wider fiber deployment?
Raghavendra: Bridging the digital divide requires a collaborative and mission-oriented approach where telecom infrastructure providers play a central role. The industry must focus not only on commercially attractive urban clusters but also on building long-term digital capacity in underserved and rural regions.
Nearly 70% of India’s population resides in rural areas, making the expansion of fiber infrastructure and last-mile connectivity a national priority. Strengthening rural digital networks at scale is essential to ensure equitable access to communication, education, healthcare, governance, and economic opportunities.
Infrastructure companies can contribute by accelerating fiber backhaul deployment, expanding last-mile connectivity, and adopting innovative rollout models that reduce costs and improve scalability. Public-private partnerships will also become increasingly important in ensuring that connectivity reaches remote geographies efficiently.
Equally important is the need to create resilient infrastructure ecosystems that support rural entrepreneurship, digital education, healthcare access, and local economic participation. Connectivity today is directly linked to empowerment. By enabling reliable digital access in rural India, we are not just expanding telecom networks, we are creating pathways for inclusive growth and national development.
TimesTech: Looking ahead, what policy reforms, industry collaborations, or infrastructure strategies do you believe are necessary to accelerate India’s fiberization journey and strengthen its digital readiness?
Raghavendra: India’s fiberization journey requires a long-term national infrastructure strategy supported by policy stability, faster clearances, and stronger industry collaboration. One of the key priorities should be the creation of a uniform and digitally streamlined right-of-way framework across all states and municipal bodies to reduce execution of bottlenecks.
We also need greater emphasis on shared infrastructure models, common utility corridors, and integrated planning between telecom, urban development, transport, and energy sectors. As digital infrastructure becomes foundational to economic growth, siloed development approaches will no longer be sufficient.
From an industry perspective, stronger collaboration between telecom operators, infrastructure providers, cloud companies, and technology firms will be critical in building scalable digital ecosystems. Investments in fiber must also be aligned with India’s growing data center ecosystem, AI ambitions, and smart manufacturing goals.
Ultimately, India can emerge as one of the world’s most digitally connected economies. To achieve that vision, fiberization must be treated as a strategic national priority that supports innovation, resilience, and inclusive economic growth for decades to come.
