India’s fiber optic cable industry is experiencing an extraordinary period of growth, driven by the government’s ambitious Digital India program, the nationwide BharatNet broadband infrastructure project targeting 6.4 lakh gram panchayats, the rapid 5G rollout across Indian cities, and the explosive growth of data centres and cloud computing infrastructure. The Indian optical fiber cable market was valued at approximately USD 500 million in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 1 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of approximately 12 percent. Multi-mode fiber represented the largest segment with a revenue share of 56.76 percent in 2025. Government initiatives like Smart Cities, PM-WANI for public WiFi, and increasing fiber-to-the-home adoption are creating massive sustained demand for optical fiber cables across the country. Let us have a look at the top 10 fiber optic cable companies in India for the year 2026.
1. STL Tech (Sterlite Technologies Limited)
STL Tech, formerly known as Sterlite Technologies Limited and founded in the year 2000 as part of the Vedanta Group, is India’s undisputed champion in optical fiber and fiber optic cable manufacturing and is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading data network solution companies. The company operates with complete vertical integration from glass preforms through fiber drawing to finished cables, giving it unmatched supply chain control, cost efficiency, and quality consistency. STL has a global annual manufacturing capacity of 60 million fiber kilometres and supplies to telecom operators and network builders in over 100 countries worldwide.
STL Tech serves telecom operators, internet service providers, government broadband programs, and data centre builders globally and in India with optical fibers, fiber optic cables, network design services, and network deployment capabilities, positioning it as a full-stack digital network infrastructure company rather than just a cable manufacturer.
2. HFCL Limited
HFCL Limited, founded in the year 1987 and headquartered in New Delhi, has positioned itself as one of India’s most critical connectivity infrastructure companies, serving the country’s most demanding government and private sector fiber optic projects. The company is a significant supplier under the BharatNet program and has executed fiber optic network projects for several state and central government broadband initiatives. HFCL manufactures optical fiber cables, telecom cables, and wireless networking equipment from its manufacturing facilities, making it one of India’s most vertically integrated telecom infrastructure companies.
HFCL serves government broadband programs, telecom operators, defence establishments, and enterprise customers with optical fiber cables, wireless network equipment, and integrated connectivity solutions, and is particularly valued for its ability to execute complex, large-scale government-funded broadband projects across challenging terrain.
3. Finolex Cables Limited
Finolex Cables Limited, founded in the year 1958 and headquartered in Pune, is one of India’s oldest and most trusted cable manufacturers with a strong and well-established fiber optic cable division. The company has been manufacturing optical fiber cables for the Indian market for several decades and offers a comprehensive range of fiber optic products including FTTH cables, aerial cables, underground armored cables, and indoor optical cables. Finolex’s brand reputation built over six decades of cable manufacturing excellence gives it significant credibility and dealer trust in the fiber optic cable market.
Finolex Cables serves telecom companies, ISPs, enterprise networks, government projects, and contractors across India with its comprehensive range of optical fiber cables, and its extensive distribution network built around its established copper cable business gives it superior reach in the domestic market.
4. Vindhya Telelinks Limited
Vindhya Telelinks Limited, established in the year 1983 and headquartered in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, is one of India’s most prominent and technically capable manufacturers of optical fiber cables and jelly-filled telephone cables. The company is uniquely positioned as not just a cable manufacturer but also an enabler of telecom infrastructure, offering turnkey solutions for optical fiber network deployment. Vindhya Telelinks is a preferred supplier for several major government and private sector fiber projects that demand certified solutions for indoor, outdoor, aerial, and underground installation.
Vindhya Telelinks serves telecom operators, government broadband programs, power utilities, and defence establishments with optical fiber cables and has built a particularly strong position in central India and in government tender-based projects where its long manufacturing track record and quality certifications provide a competitive advantage.
5. Birla Furukawa Fibre Optics Private Limited
Birla Furukawa Fibre Optics Private Limited is a joint venture between the Aditya Birla Group and Furukawa Electric of Japan, bringing together Indian industrial scale and Japanese fiber optic technology expertise in a powerful manufacturing partnership. The company specialises in manufacturing high-performance optical fibers including Low Water Peak and Bend Improved Single-Mode Optical Fibers that meet the demanding technical requirements of modern FTTH, 5G backhaul, and high-capacity transmission networks. Birla Furukawa’s Japanese technology lineage gives it an edge in producing specialty fiber types that command premium pricing in domestic and export markets.
Birla Furukawa serves telecom operators, cable manufacturers, and advanced network builders with high-performance optical fiber products and is a key domestic source of specialty fiber types that help reduce India’s dependence on imported preforms and fibers for advanced optical communication applications.
6. Aksh Optifibre Limited
Aksh Optifibre Limited, headquartered in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, is one of India’s established manufacturers of optical fiber cables with a manufacturing capacity dedicated to meeting the growing domestic and export demand for fiber optic cables. The company produces a range of optical fiber cables for telecom, LAN, and specialty applications and has been a consistent supplier to Indian telecom operators and government infrastructure projects. Aksh also has operations in optical fiber preform and draw activities that give it upstream manufacturing capability.
Aksh Optifibre serves Indian telecom operators, internet service providers, and infrastructure contractors with optical fiber cables and related products, and has built a steady presence in the government-funded broadband project segment which has been one of the largest demand drivers for fiber optic cables in India.
7. Polycab India Limited
Polycab India Limited, founded in the year 1996 and one of India’s largest and most diversified cable and wire manufacturers with FY2025 revenues exceeding Rs 18,000 crore, has been expanding its presence in the fiber optic cable segment as part of its strategy to serve the growing digital infrastructure market. The company’s wide distribution network across India, strong brand equity built through its electrical cables business, and financial strength provide it with significant competitive advantages in expanding its optical cable business.
Polycab India serves telecom operators, ISPs, enterprise customers, and government projects with fiber optic cables through its broad distribution network, and is leveraging its established relationships with electrical contractors and infrastructure companies to grow its share of the rapidly expanding optical fiber cable market in India.
8. Paramount Communications Limited
Paramount Communications Limited, a publicly listed cable manufacturer headquartered in New Delhi, is one of India’s established manufacturers of telecommunications cables including optical fiber cables, power cables, and submarine cables. The company has invested in optical fiber cable manufacturing capability and has secured supply contracts with Indian telecom operators and government entities as part of the broader national push to expand fiber connectivity across India.
Paramount Communications serves telecom operators, power utilities, and government projects with optical fiber cables and power cables, and is recognized as a reliable domestic supplier for both optical and power cable requirements, giving it a combined portfolio advantage when bidding for large infrastructure projects that require multiple cable types.
9. Corning India (Corning Optical Communications)
Corning, an American company founded in the year 1851 and the world’s leading manufacturer of specialty glass and optical fiber, has a strong commercial presence in India through its Corning Optical Communications division. Corning invented optical fiber in the year 1970 and continues to be the global technological leader in optical fiber manufacturing. In India, Corning supplies premium optical fiber and cable products to telecom operators, data centre builders, and advanced network deployments that demand the highest quality and performance specifications.
Corning India serves premium segment telecom operators, data centres, financial institutions, and research establishments with world-class optical fiber products and connectivity solutions, and is the preferred supplier for applications where performance, reliability, and cutting-edge technology specifications are paramount rather than price.
10. Prysmian Group India
Prysmian Group, an Italian multinational founded in the year 1879 and the world’s largest cable manufacturer by revenue, operates in India serving the telecommunications and power infrastructure markets with fiber optic cables and power cables. Prysmian’s global expertise in submarine fiber optic cables, high-performance optical fibers, and specialty cable systems brings world-class technology to Indian infrastructure projects, particularly large government and enterprise deployments requiring international quality standards and technical specifications.
Prysmian Group India serves telecom operators, power utilities, and large-scale infrastructure developers with fiber optic cables and power cables that meet international quality and performance standards, and is a key international supplier for technically demanding Indian projects including submarine cable systems and high-specification enterprise network infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is driving demand for fiber optic cables in India in 2026?
A: The primary demand drivers are the BharatNet program targeting universal broadband connectivity to 6.4 lakh gram panchayats, India’s nationwide 5G rollout that requires dense fiber backhaul infrastructure, the rapid expansion of data centres and cloud infrastructure, rising FTTH adoption in urban and semi-urban areas, and government initiatives like Digital India, Smart Cities, and PM-WANI for public WiFi networks.
Q: Which is the largest fiber optic cable manufacturer in India?
A: STL Tech is the largest and most globally recognised fiber optic cable manufacturer in India, with a manufacturing capacity of 60 million fiber kilometres annually and a presence in over 100 countries. HFCL is the largest domestic project-focused supplier, particularly in government broadband programs. Birla Furukawa is the leading domestic manufacturer of optical fiber itself rather than just cables.
Q: What is the difference between single-mode and multi-mode optical fiber?
A: Single-mode optical fiber has a very narrow core diameter of about 9 micrometres and is designed to carry a single ray of light, allowing transmission over very long distances with minimal signal loss — making it ideal for telecom backbone networks, long-haul links, and metro area networks. Multi-mode fiber has a larger core of 50 or 62.5 micrometres and supports multiple light rays, making it more suitable for shorter distance applications like campus networks, data centres, and building LAN systems at lower cost.
Q: What is BharatNet and how is it impacting the fiber optic cable industry?
A: BharatNet is India’s flagship government program to provide broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats across India using optical fiber as the primary technology. The program involves laying tens of thousands of kilometres of fiber optic cables across rural India. It has been one of the largest single demand drivers for optical fiber cables in India in recent years, benefiting manufacturers like STL Tech, HFCL, Finolex, and Vindhya Telelinks who have secured significant supply contracts.
Q: Is India importing or exporting optical fiber cables?
A: India is both a significant manufacturer and exporter of optical fiber cables, particularly through STL Tech which exports to over 100 countries. However, India also imports optical fiber preforms and certain high-specification fiber types from global leaders like Corning and Prysmian for premium applications. The government’s Make in India initiative is encouraging increased domestic manufacturing of optical fibers and preforms to reduce import dependence.
