India Router and Switch Market Overview, 2030

The ambitious Digital India project has been a major driving force behind the dramatic changes in India's router industry. This nationwide initiative has played a key role in promoting initial router deployments around the nation, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, with the goal of closing the digital divide. Millions of households and small businesses have connected to the internet for the first time as a result of large-scale initiatives to increase broadband availability and digitize services in education, healthcare, and administration, which has led to a surge in demand for entry-level and mid-tier routers. Reaching Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, though, has presented particular difficulties. Due to infrastructural constraints, patchy internet backbone availability, and poor digital literacy, deployment has been delayed. Because these regions frequently lack last-mile connectivity, local ISPs and router manufacturers are compelled to develop innovative, low-maintenance hardware and adaptable distribution strategies, such as door-to-door demos and localized service support. Power disruptions, especially in rural areas, remain a persistent problem in India's connectivity environment. As a solution, producers created battery-backed routers, which are intended to maintain home network connectivity during common power outages. These gadgets, which have either integrated UPS uninterruptible power supply systems or low-energy consumption profiles, have gained popularity in both home and small business settings because they guarantee continuous connection even when the power supply is unreliable. There have been significant changes in the way routers are used in India, moving from internet cafes to home offices. Millions of people depended on cafes as their online gateway in the early 2000s, using simple routers and switches. The emphasis has now shifted to personal and home-based networks due to the growth of online learning and remote work, which has boosted the need for routers that are cost-effective, feature-rich, and include parental controls, bandwidth management, and app-based interfaces.

According to the research report, ""India Router and Switch Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the India Router and Switch market is anticipated to grow at more than 10.56% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. The increased demand for video and applications on mobile networks is causing congestion, which is driving router uptake as consumers are increasingly turning to fixed-line broadband at home and in small companies. The growth of fiber connectivity combined with inexpensive data plans has led people to transfer their mobile data consumption to Wi-Fi networks, especially in metropolitan and suburban homes. The expansion of online learning, which has accelerated since the epidemic, is another major driving force. Digital classrooms are becoming increasingly common, requiring reliable home internet connections for everything from elementary education to advanced studies and competitive exam preparation. This change has caused a significant increase in the use of routers in households, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities where digital learning is increasingly becoming a lifeline for educational access. The entry of domestic brands into router production is a significant market trend. In order to lessen dependency on imports and provide cost-competitive products suited to Indian circumstances, Indian electronics producers are stepping up. These Indian brands, made in the country, are directly targeting the value-conscious Indian consumer by offering affordable routers with capabilities like dual-band compatibility, parental controls, and user-friendly installation interfaces. But, to ensure quality and security in network infrastructure, all new imports and locally made equipment must adhere to BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) and telecommunications rules. The market is experiencing a surge in router-financing models aimed at low-income sectors in order to increase accessibility. Pay-as-you-go plans, EMI alternatives, and bundled ISP plans with no upfront cost are all helping underserved communities afford routers.

Driven by both digital transformation programs and changing connection requirements, the Indian networking equipment market, which is divided by type into routers and switches, is still growing at a quick pace. In order to meet the rising need for fast, reliable broadband in homes, businesses, and schools, routers, which act as bridges between networks and the internet, are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The growth of online learning, remote work, and OTT streaming is fueling this demand in India. Even in the entry-level sector, smart features like bandwidth prioritization, guest networks, and mobile app setup are now expected of consumer routers. The demand for greater, more reliable coverage is demonstrated by the popularity of dual-band devices in mixed-use households and mesh routers in metropolitan apartments. In contrast, switches are crucial for the effective internal data routing within LANs, particularly in business and multi-user environments. The use cases for managed and unmanaged switches are becoming more varied as businesses adopt enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, surveillance networks, and IoT infrastructure. The switch market in India is boosted by digital growth in the banking, education, and healthcare industries, which require local area networks to handle segmented traffic and prioritize dependability. Power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities are becoming increasingly popular in smart building applications since they lower cabling costs and facilitate the smooth integration of CCTV, access control, and VoIP systems. Switches are used to power internal communications in both small and big environments, whereas routers are more focused on network entry points and internet connectivity. The software features and remote management capabilities of the two product types are becoming more and more similar. With smart infrastructure initiatives and the deployment of 5G, India is on the path to becoming a digitally integrated economy, where routers and switches will play fundamental roles.

The growing popularity of hybrid work, online tutoring, and entertainment streaming in the residential and small office/home office (SOHO) market has greatly increased the demand for inexpensive, simple-to-install routers with reliable Wi-Fi coverage. As more families switch from relying on mobile data to fixed broadband, frequently with the aid of entry-level mesh systems or ISP-provided routers, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are becoming popular hotspots. Demand in the business and commercial sector is fueled by the digital transformation of retail chains, SMEs, and IT-enabled services. To support all operations, from video conferencing to cloud-based activities, organizations want a network infrastructure that is both scalable and secure, with managed switches and high-throughput routers. As cybersecurity rises to the top of the boardroom agenda, commercial networks are incorporating segmented switch setups and firewall-capable routers in order to safeguard critical data. To facilitate virtualization, redundancy, and incredibly fast data transfers, data centers, which are essential to India's expanding cloud ecosystem, are implementing high-performance routers and Layer 3 switches. To satisfy the growing needs of hyperscalers and colocation service providers, major data center hubs in cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad are investing in modular, energy-efficient networking infrastructure. With providers quickly increasing fiber connectivity and 5G infrastructure, the telecom and ISP industry continues to be a significant engine. To ensure quality of service and lower churn, these businesses need strong subscriber-end devices, aggregation switches, and backhaul routers. Customer-premise equipment (CPE) has become a strategic asset in customer acquisition and retention due to the move towards FTTH (Fiber to the Home). The industrial, utility, and transport industries are increasingly implementing robust routers and managed switches in smart grid systems, factory automation, and intelligent transportation.

In industries like manufacturing, finance, and healthcare, where physical control over network infrastructure, data privacy, and low latency are critical, on-premise deployment remains dominant. These configurations often include managed switches and enterprise-grade routers placed in data center or office settings. Indian IT teams prefer on-premise systems for custom configurations and essential application support, particularly in situations where downtime is not an option. On the other hand, cloud-managed installations are becoming increasingly popular in SMEs, educational establishments, and the hospitality industry. By reducing the demand for on-site IT staff, these solutions enable centralized monitoring and configuration of networking devices via the cloud. This model is especially being used by Indian businesses and remote offices in Tier-2 cities because of its scalability, reduced upfront expenditures, and straightforward remote troubleshooting. Furthermore, cloud management makes it easier to implement network security upgrades and firmware updates without causing much disruption. In applications that demand real-time data processing and decision-making at the source, edge computing is becoming increasingly important. In India, edge routers and switches are being used in sectors like energy, logistics, and agriculture to facilitate remote monitoring, IoT, and AI-driven analytics in areas with sporadic connection. These robust, frequently mobile, gadgets are being used in smart grids, automated irrigation systems, and predictive maintenance frameworks, lessening reliance on centralized data centers. By decoupling the control plane from the hardware, software-defined networking (SDN) is transforming India's telecom networks and bigger businesses. This makes it possible for improved traffic management, policy enforcement, and dynamic configuration across hybrid infrastructures. Show more