By Dr. Devesh Tyagi, CEO, NIXI
Some milestones are worth celebrating. India today has more than 955 million internet users – a number that would have been hard to imagine just a decade ago. But with this rapid growth comes a simple, urgent question: Can our digital backbone carry the weight of the next billion?
We are not just talking now about internet connectivity for people. That battle, in many ways has already been fought. Toward building an internet that is trustworthy and resilient stands the next challenge to build an internet that is trustworthy, resilient, local, and optimised. A network that works just as well for a weaver in Bhagalpur as it does for a coder in Bengaluru.
Let’s start with something that still doesn’t get the attention it deserves yet every one of us depends on it: the Internet Exchange Point (IXP). IXPs are what keep data flowing smoothly between networks. They ensure that messages don’t bounce around foreign servers before reaching someone in your own city. With 77 IXPs across India today, we’ve built a strong base but scale alone isn’t enough. We need smarter distribution, especially in remote areas.
Many Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities still route their internet traffic through distant metros, adding delay, cost, and inefficiency. This can be changed and the solution lies in partnership. India’s smaller ISPs already have deep community ties and infrastructure. What they often lack is interconnection capability. A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model that brings these ISPs into a shared framework can shift the needle significantly.
When we treat Class A, B, and C ISPs as equal collaborators not competitors, we create a web of shared strength. This is what we call ecosystem thinking, not just infrastructure building. After all, access is only the first piece of the puzzle.
For millions of Indians, the digital world still feels like a foreign land — not because of poor connectivity, but because it doesn’t speak their language. With Universal Acceptance, a Tamil-speaking farmer in Erode, a Bodo speaker in Assam, or a tribal youth in Jharkhand should no longer find the internet linguistically out of reach. Domain names in Indian languages, email addresses in local scripts, and content in the language people dream in shouldn’t feel like a luxury anymore — they should be the gateway to real digital participation.
Through village-level domain identity projects, people are finally getting a chance to see their world reflected online. And when someone can tell their story in their own language, it’s no longer just access — it becomes real expression. That’s when the internet truly comes alive.
Of course, a wider internet is also a riskier one. As access spreads, so do threats. Cybersecurity isn’t a separate agenda anymore – it’s a foundational part of access. We’ve seen how scams and frauds can erode trust. That’s why regulators are launching secure zones like .bank.in and .fin.in. When a citizen sees those domains, they should immediately feel the legitimacy of those websites. Trust shouldn’t be optional in a digital economy.
Another long-term step is the creation of an Indian Root Certification Authority. Most HTTPS certificates are issued abroad, meaning our browsing data trails often pass through foreign hands. With a domestic root, we not only secure our data traffic but also affirm our digital sovereignty. It’s a quiet revolution, but one that matters.
But let’s not forget the most important element of all – people. For a truly inclusive and secure digital future, we need not just users but creators, engineers, and thinkers who understand how the internet works at its core. The next generation must be equipped not only to use digital tools, but to shape, secure, and steer the internet itself.
Bright students from across India are being trained in the ethics, mechanics, and policy of how the internet works. They’re not just interns, they are the future architects of India’s digital journey, shaped through the Internet Governance program.
In the end, to support another billion users, we must rethink what the internet means to us. Not just as consumers, but as citizens. We must build an internet that is:
Federated – with shared ownership and local strength.
Linguistically inclusive – speaking every Indian’s language.
Secure by design – where trust is built into the architecture.
Governed with awareness – not just by rules, but by people who understand their impact.
The internet is no longer just a network of cables and routers. It has become the new public square where we connect, the new library where we learn, the new bank and post office where we transact, and the new school where we educate ourselves. It’s now the backbone of how society functions, communicates, and grows, and it must reflect who we are and where we’re headed. The next billion users deserve nothing less.
Let’s build an internet that speaks our languages, respects our identities, and secures our future for the next billion and beyond.