Is Agentic AI Leading India's Telecom Revolution?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Agentic AI is transforming the telecom sector in India.
- 49% of telecom firms have integrated AI into their operations.
- Investment in AI-ready infrastructure is crucial for future growth.
- India leads with over 1.2 billion mobile subscribers.
- Collaboration among startups and academia is vital for innovation.
New Delhi, Oct 9 (NationPress) Agentic AI is poised to transform India's telecom industry through innovations such as self-healing networks, predictive maintenance, and hyper-personalised customer engagement, according to a report released on Thursday.
Approximately 97% of telecom firms are currently adopting or evaluating AI technologies, with 49% already integrating it into their operational frameworks, as highlighted in the report by KPMG India.
Agentic AI has the potential to revolutionize the telecom industry by facilitating intelligent networks, predictive maintenance, hyper-personalised customer interactions, and real-time service orchestration, the report elaborated.
Half of the telecom companies have executed their initial GenAI use case, and telecom operators are encouraged to expand AI pilot programs into comprehensive enterprise deployments, supported by AI-ready infrastructure and skilled personnel.
Business leaders anticipate investing $25 million in new technology talent and $24 million in enhancing customer experience initiatives within the upcoming year.
The consultancy recognized India as an ideal testing ground for large-scale AI implementation due to its extensive scale, data abundance (exceeding 18 billion UPI transactions monthly), favorable policy reforms, and vibrant AI startup ecosystem.
The report further stated that India is at the forefront of global telecom growth, boasting over 1.2 billion mobile subscribers and approximately 800 million broadband users.
Average mobile data usage is nearly 32 GB monthly, ranking among the highest worldwide. The financial stability of the sector is on the rise, with average revenue per user (ARPU) climbing to about Rs 174.46 per month and wireless data revenues increasing by 15.5% annually to reach Rs 2.15 trillion in FY24–25, as noted in the report.
KPMG India urged startups, academic institutions, and partners to collaborate in fostering an inclusive and intelligent telecom environment.
“Agentic AI represents more than just a technological innovation—it signifies a strategic shift that enables telecom operators to transition from reactive to autonomous systems. This change will unlock unprecedented levels of operational efficiency, customer personalization, and revenue growth,” explained Akhilesh Tuteja, Partner and National Leader – Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) at KPMG in India.
India’s extraordinary scale, data richness, and innovation ecosystem uniquely position it to spearhead the global telecom AI revolution, establishing models that others will emulate, he added.
Approximately 65% of global telecom operators are planning to boost their AI investments in 2025, focusing on AI-ready infrastructure and workforce development, the report indicated.