India's digital infrastructure is at risk due to its heavy reliance on a small number of undersea cables, especially in the Mumbai area. In the Versova neighborhood on Mumbai’s northwest coast, 13 of India’s 18 international submarine cables come ashore within a six-kilometer radius. These cables carry about 95% of India’s international internet traffic to Europe, Africa, and West Asia. Experts warn that this concentration of cables creates a major vulnerability—should several of them be damaged at once, it could significantly disrupt India’s westward data connections. While traffic can be rerouted through other landing points like Chennai and Kochi, the resulting slowdown could harm critical sectors such as banking, stock exchanges, cloud services, and government operations, particularly those relying on high-speed data transfers for artificial intelligence. India consumes about 20% of the world’s data but is connected to only 3% of global submarine cables. The country has 21 cable landing stations, compared to nearly 1,900 worldwide. Experts say India needs to expand its number of landing points to support its growing digital economy. A recent study by the Takshashila Institution found that 11 of India’s 18 international cables are over 20 years old, nearing the typical 25-year lifespan of such systems. This aging infrastructure raises concerns about reliability and the need for modernization. Most cable faults are not the result of deliberate attacks but are caused by accidental damage from fishing, ship anchors, natural disasters, and equipment failure. Globally, about 150–200 cable faults occur each year. India’s dependence on foreign ships for undersea repairs is a major weakness. These foreign vessels must secure licenses to operate in Indian waters, which can delay repairs by several weeks. This reliance on external resources highlights the need for domestic repair capabilities. India’s complex bureaucracy also slows the deployment and maintenance of submarine cables. Sixteen different agencies across various ministries are involved in the approval process for cable construction, operation, and repair. Setting up a new landing station can require around 50 clearances from at least 16 ministries. Experts suggest that creating a single-window approval system under the Department of Telecommunications could streamline the process. Pre-approving potential landing sites could also reduce delays. India has taken steps to recognize submarine cables as critical infrastructure, which could lead to faster clearances, emergency repair protocols, and the development of an indigenous cable-repair capability. New technologies, such as Distributed Acoustic Sensing, which uses optical fibers to detect threats, may also enhance cable security. The country is also diversifying its cable landing points, with four new systems already in operation and three more planned. However, the challenge remains whether India’s growing data demands and digital ambitions can be met with the necessary infrastructure and repair capacity.