India’s Three Subsea Cable Projects to Launch by March 2025
By Archana Rao, India Briefing
August 28, 2024
India’s digital landscape is poised for a transformative leap, as three major subsea cable systems are set to launch between October 2024 and March 2025. These fiber-optic cables, laid on the ocean floor, serve as the backbone of the global internet, facilitating most international communications.
With the launch of three new subsea cable projects, India is bracing itself for a major leap in digital connectivity development. In August 2024, it was reported that the projects—2Africa Pearls, India-Asia-Express (IAX), and India-Europe-Express (IEX)—are expected to quadruple India’s internet capacity, significantly improving the speed and reliability of its digital connectivity.
While 2Africa subsea cable is expected to go live in October 2024, IAX and IEX are expected to be operational by March next year. Given India’s growing dependence on digital connectivity, submarine cables have become indispensable for its international communications. The country is connected globally through multiple submarine cable systems, such as the Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe (SEA-ME-WE) system, the Bay of Bengal Gateway (BBG) system, and the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) system.
A subsea or submarine cable is a fiber-optic cable laid in the ocean, connecting two or more landing points.
Upcoming subsea cable project details
The 2Africa Pearls, among the world’s longest subsea cable systems at over 45,000 kilometers, will connect 33 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, with Bharti Airtel and Meta among its key investors. This network will have a data transmission capacity of 180 terabits per second (Tbps), with Mumbai serving as a major hub.
