US leads the 2024 Network Readiness Index, India at 49th Position

India was ranked 49th in the Network Readiness Index 2024, published by the Portulans Institute and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford on November 21, 2024. Last year, it was ranked 60th, and this year, it has improved its rank by 11 positions. 

The United States of America led the Network Readiness Index for the third consecutive year, followed by Singapore.

The Network Readiness Index ranks 133 economies (countries) based on their citizens' access to and use of information and communications technology (ICT).

The Network Readiness Index is considered one of the leading global indices of ICT application and impact in economies worldwide.

Performance of India 

• The Network Readiness Index 2024 ranks India at 49th place amongst 133 economies of the world, with a score of 53.63 
• India has been ranked second among the low-middle-income countries after Vietnam.
• India secured the first rank in ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) scientific publications’, ‘AI talent concentration’ and ‘ICT services exports’, 
• 2nd rank in ‘FTTH (Fiber to the Home)/Building Internet subscriptions’, ‘Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country’ and ‘International Internet bandwidth’,
• 3rd rank in ‘Domestic market scale’ and 
• 4th rank in ‘annual investment in telecommunication services.

Also Read: India ranked 6th in the world in WIPO Global Patent Filings in 2023

About the Network Readiness Index 

• The Network Readiness Index was launched by the World Economic Forum in 2002
• Since 2019, it has been published by the Portulans Institute. 
• Portulan Institute, an independent nonprofit research and educational institute based in Washington, DC, USA, was founded in 2019 by Soumitra Dutta and Bruno Lanvin.
• The Network Readiness Index is built on four pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact.
• Each pillar comprises three sub-pillars and a total of 54 variables. 
• It ranks 133 economies based on their performance across 54 variables. 
• It is published annually.

Top Ten Economies in the Network Readiness Index 2024

For the third consecutive year, the United States topped the index.

Singapore and  South Korea are the only countries in Asia and the Pacific that appear in the top 10.

Seven of the top 10 countries are from Europe.

China has been ranked 17th, and it is the only middle-income country to be included in the top 20.