The Portulans Institute published the Network Readiness Index 2025 in February 2026. India ranked 45th among 127 economies with a score of 54.43/100. The ranking also recorded a four-place improvement for India compared with the previous ranking.
For exam preparation, this update matters because it links digital readiness with technology, people, governance, and impact. The Network Readiness Index assesses readiness through four pillars: technology, people, governance, and impact. This makes the topic useful for questions on digital infrastructure, e-governance, technology adoption, and the role of digital platforms in public service delivery.
India's improvement is linked to progress in digital infrastructure, e-governance, and technology adoption. UPI-based digital payments, Aadhaar-based services, and the India Stack digital ecosystem are the key strengths behind the improvement. These points help connect the ranking with a larger governance theme: how digital services can affect administrative reach and delivery of services. In governance answers, the same examples can be used to explain the link between digital infrastructure and citizen services.
In prelims, the likely factual areas are the publisher, year, India's rank, score, number of economies covered, and the four pillars of the index. For static-GK linkage, the topic connects with e-governance, digital infrastructure, and technology-enabled service delivery. In answers, India's performance should be written with specific facts such as the 45th rank, 54.43/100 score, and four-place improvement rather than as a generic claim of better digital performance.