India, March 20 -- Telecom networks have quietly become India's most critical safety net. In every flood, cyclone, or landslide, people instinctively reach for their phones to seek help, locate family, and access essential services, turning connectivity into a lifeline for citizens and a core instrument of national security and disaster response.

Over the past few years, there has been a clear policy shift in that direction. The Department of Telecommunications, working with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, has put in place a Disaster Risk and Resilience Assessment Framework that maps the vulnerability of towers, fiber, and power in high-risk states such as Odisha, Uttarakhand, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.

The ass...