This policy brief presents India’s first Disaster Risk and Resilience Assessment Framework (DRRAF) for the telecommunications sector, prepared by CDRI with the Department of Telecommunications and NDMA. Using a 3-phase “Explore–Evaluate–Execute” methodology, the study mapped 0.77 million towers nationwide, analysed their exposure to eight natural hazards, and developed risk and resilience indices for five high-risk states (Assam, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand). Key findings show that 57% of Odisha’s towers, 56% nationally, are cyclone-exposed; 27% of towers country-wide lie in high earthquake zones; and lightning threatens 75% of assets.

The brief recommends strengthening technical design (redundancy, seismic retrofits, backup power, CoWs), building a national multi-hazard data repository, and mainstreaming risk information into governance, codes and planning. It urges cross-sector partnerships to guarantee power supply, dedicated telecom infrastructure at critical sites, and innovative finance such as universal-service funds, risk-sharing instruments and parametric insurance. Additional priorities include single-window restoration approvals, GIS-based fibre mapping, satellite-phone deployment and targeted capacity building to ensure last-mile connectivity during disasters.