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Red Sea Cable Cuts and Impact on Indian Networks

09 Sep 2025 GS 3 Science & Technology
Red Sea Cable Cuts and Impact on Indian Networks Click to view full image

Context

  • Recently, subsea cables SEA-ME-WE 4 and IMEWE running through the Red Sea were damaged, disrupting India’s internet connectivity with Europe.

  • Major Indian telecom operators affected: Bharti Airtel Ltd., Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., Tata Communications Ltd.

  • This is the second such disruption, following cuts in 2024 during the Red Sea crisis linked to Houthi attacks.

Importance of Subsea Cables

  • Backbone of global internet infrastructure – carry more than 95% of international internet traffic.

  • India has over a dozen subsea cable systems landing at Mumbai and Chennai, connecting it to Europe, West Asia, Southeast Asia, and the US.

  • Disruptions highlight strategic vulnerability as India increasingly relies on digital economy and global connectivity.

Technical Impact

  • Latency (time for a data packet to travel a round trip):

    • Earlier Europe–Mumbai latency: 110–150 ms

    • After cuts: 190–300 ms

  • Though no widespread outages, rerouting through alternative cables leads to higher delays and reduced efficiency.

Geopolitical and Security Dimensions

  • Red Sea route is critical for both maritime trade and data cables.

  • Houthi attacks in the Yemen conflict have raised risks to both energy security and digital infrastructure.

  • Underlines the need for cable route diversification, redundancy, and cyber-physical protection of subsea infrastructure.

Implications for India

  1. Economic Impact: Slower connectivity hampers IT services, BPO, and financial transactions with Europe.

  2. Strategic Concerns: Reliance on chokepoints (Suez-Red Sea) exposes vulnerabilities in India’s digital infrastructure.

  3. Digital India Goals: With India aiming to be a global digital hub, stable undersea connectivity is essential.

  4. Security Concerns: Highlights the overlap of geopolitical conflicts and cyber-physical infrastructure risks.

Way Forward

  • Strengthen redundancy: Invest in alternate cable routes (via Africa, Arctic, Pacific).

  • Domestic Infrastructure: Enhance satellite-based internet and data center capacity.

  • International Cooperation: Collaborate with Europe, West Asia, Quad partners for cable security and resilience.

  • National Policy: DoT and National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) may develop a Submarine Cable Security Framework.



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