At DePIN Day Singapore, Karam Lakshman, founder of Dabba Network, shared an ambitious vision that sits at the intersection of connectivity and decentralization: bringing broadband access to hundreds of millions of people across India who have never experienced Wi-Fi.
The Connectivity Gap
While India leads the world in mobile data consumption, fixed broadband penetration remains among the lowest globally.
That gap creates a massive opportunity — both social and economic — for decentralized infrastructure to step in.
Dabba’s approach is simple:
Anyone, anywhere in the world, can sponsor a Wi-Fi hotspot in India.
The hardware is deployed locally, connecting real users in neighborhoods and villages where broadband has never reached.
In return, sponsors earn Dabba tokens, which are backed by real Web2 revenue — the monthly internet bills paid by local customers.
10,000% Growth in a Year
Between 2024 and 2025, Dabba Network’s growth has been exponential.
In 2024, the team deployed around 1,000 hotspots across India.
By 2025, that number skyrocketed to 26,000, marking a 10,000% year-over-year increase.
The network now generates $120,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) — and is on track to hit $1 million MRR by mid-2026.
Over the next six to seven months, Dabba plans to scale to 100,000 active hotspots, expanding coverage from urban centers to semi-rural and underserved regions.
A Playbook for Emerging Markets
While India is Dabba’s primary market, the broader mission extends far beyond its borders.
“Pretty much all of Africa has no broadband connectivity,” said Lakshman.
“Parts of South America face the same challenges. India is our proving ground — once we’ve nailed the model here, we’ll take it global.”
The team plans to expand to Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America starting in 2026, using India’s hyper-competitive market as the foundation for scaling infrastructure in other emerging economies.
Real Utility, Real Impact
Dabba’s model embodies what the DePIN movement stands for — real-world infrastructure, real users, and real revenue.
Every hotspot deployed represents not just a node in a network, but a family, school, or business gaining access to the digital world.
As the company approaches its token generation event (TGE) in the coming months, Lakshman remains grounded:
“To our community — thank you for the support.
To everyone else — if this mission resonates, join us. Sponsor a hotspot, help someone connect, and become part of the network that’s bringing the internet to where it’s needed most.”
