About the Index
The Network Readiness Index (NRI) is published by the Portulans Institute, an independent non-profit research and educational institute based in Washington, D.C. The NRI maps the network-based readiness landscape of economies, measuring how well countries leverage information and communication technology (ICT) for economic and social development.
The NRI 2025 (released February 4, 2026) assesses 127 economies across four pillars and 53 indicators:
- Technology — access, content, and future technologies (AI, IoT, cloud computing)
- People — individuals, businesses, and governments as users and adopters of technology
- Governance — trust, regulation, and enabling environment for digital transformation
- Impact — economic, social, and quality of life outcomes from network readiness
Each pillar is further divided into sub-pillars, and the overall NRI score is calculated as the average of the four pillar scores on a scale of 0 to 100.
India’s Performance
NRI 2025 (released February 4, 2026): India climbed to 45th rank (out of 127 economies) — up 4 places from 49th in 2024. NRI score improved from 53.63 to 54.43.
India secured 1st rank globally in:
- Annual investment in telecommunication services
- AI scientific publications — reflecting India’s growing research output in AI
- ICT services exports — India’s dominance in IT services (Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL)
- E-commerce legislation
India also ranked 2nd in:
- FTTH/Building Internet subscriptions — driven by Jio fibre expansion
- Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country
NRI 2024: India was at 49th rank (out of 133 economies) — up 11 places from 60th in 2023; score 53.63.
India is ranked 2nd among lower-middle-income countries on the NRI (both 2024 and 2025).
Regional / BRICS Comparison
| Country | NRI Rank | NRI Score |
|---|---|---|
| China | 23rd | 64.2 |
| Russia | 42nd | 56.0 |
| India | 49th | 53.6 |
| Brazil | 53rd | 51.7 |
| South Africa | 72nd | 44.8 |
Top 5 Countries (NRI 2024)
| Rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 80.3 |
| 2 | Singapore | 79.5 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 78.5 |
| 4 | Denmark | 78.1 |
| 5 | Finland | 77.8 |
Key Highlights of Latest Edition
- The United States topped the NRI for the third consecutive year, with a score of 80.3
- Nordic and Western European countries dominate the top 10 alongside the USA and Singapore
- India showed the largest rank improvement (+11 places) among major economies
- The AI sub-pillar was introduced with greater granularity in the 2024 edition, reflecting AI’s growing importance
- The digital divide between high-income and low-income countries remains significant — the top 10 average 78.5 while the bottom 10 average 21.3
- Government digitisation and e-governance were identified as key differentiators for middle-income country performance
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: NRI publisher (Portulans Institute, Washington DC), India’s rank — NRI 2025: 45th/127 (score 54.43); NRI 2024: 49th/133 (score 53.63); four pillars (Technology, People, Governance, Impact); top country (USA); India’s 1st-rank sub-indicators (telecom investment, AI publications, ICT exports, e-commerce legislation) Mains GS-3: Digital India Mission, IT sector growth, AI ecosystem development, ICT infrastructure, digital divide, e-governance, broadband penetration Interview: “India leads the world in AI publications and ICT exports but ranks 45th overall on network readiness. What explains this paradox?”
