Net shutdown adds to massive disruption in capital
A mobile internet shutdown in central Delhi, enforced during a period of civil unrest, has caused significant disruption to digital payments, gig economy operations, and navigation services. The move has drawn criticism from digital rights organizations for its lack of transparency and impact on daily life.
Why it matters
Highlights the tension between state security measures and the reliance of modern urban economies on digital infrastructure.
The mobile internet shutdown, from 10 p.m. on Friday (October 9, 2026) through Saturday evening, compounded the disruption caused by the massive crackdown on attempts to protest in the capital. Digital payments all but ground to a halt — except in restaurants, shops and facilities equipped with WiFi — while protesters scrambled to call friends and family in other parts of the city, unable to send pictures or video.
The shutdown was ordered for a 4-kilometre radius centred on the intersection of Janpath and Kartavya Path, normally two of the busiest thoroughfares in the administrative heart of the city. It was geographically the largest curb in Delhi since the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, over half a decade ago.
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