BSNL's revenue grew 20-25% to Rs 25,000 crore in two years, with EBITDA margins soaring to Rs 7,000 crore from Rs 50 crore. The growth is driven by infrastructure upgrades, indigenous 4G deployment, and a focus on rural connectivity.
BSNL's Financial Turnaround
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) recorded a revenue growth from Rs 21,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore, marking a 20 to 25 per cent increase over the last two years, Union Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said.
According to the Ministry of Communications, the state-run telecom enterprise also registered a rise in its EBITDA margins, which grew from Rs 50 crore to nearly Rs 7,000 crore during the same period.
Operational Overhaul and Strategy
The Ministry of Communications attributed this growth to structural adjustments, infrastructure upgrades, and a shift toward private-sector operational discipline. The strategy focused on resolving long-standing issues, including outdated infrastructure, suboptimal tower uptime, and institutional work culture.
"We approached the revival with systematic rigour and private-sector discipline. The results are now visible like stronger finances, indigenous technology, and connectivity reaching India's remotest corners," Pemmasani said.
As part of the operational overhaul, the telecom department targeted specific regional inefficiencies. In states like Andhra Pradesh, where tower uptime previously stood at 75 per cent, a target of 95 per cent was established. The turnaround involved replacing 50,000 batteries across an equal number of towers, upgrading power plants, and replacing aging cables alongside setting localized targets for enterprise business and new mobile connections.
Indigenous 4G Deployment
"We launched indigenous 4G on 100,000 towers within a single year and have now perfected it to near-global standards. India is now only the fifth country in the world to develop such deep indigenous 4G technology," Pemmasani said.
Expanding User Base and Rebuilding Trust
To rebuild public trust and expand its user base, BSNL is utilizing the network of India Post offices to distribute one-rupee SIM cards and deploy postal workers for doorstep awareness campaigns in rural markets.
"We know trust cannot return overnight. Our tariffs are much cheaper than those of private players. We are giving One Rupee SIM cards through India Post offices so people can try our service. We are also working with India Post to ensure doorstep awareness in rural areas, where postal workers actively explain BSNL's improved services. In villages where BSNL is the only reliable option, people should definitely subscribe," the Minister said.
Rural and Remote Network Expansion
According to the Ministry of Communications, the network expansion also focused on rural and security-sensitive regions, deploying approximately 25,000 towers out of a targeted 35,000 to cover villages affected by difficult terrain or left-wing extremism.
"Prime Minister Modi ji's vision is to connect every village, no matter how remote. We monitor progress every week. We have already installed around 25,000 towers covering these villages, with another 10,000 in progress," Pemmasani noted, adding that infrastructure in locations like Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh helped residents contact law enforcement and accelerated regional development.
BharatNet Project Execution
Parallel to the tower deployment, the government is executing the BharatNet project with an investment of nearly Rs 1,40,000 crore to supply high-speed fiber to every Gram Panchayat.
"We are investing nearly Rs 1,40,000 crore to provide high-speed fibre to every Gram Panchayat. Learning from the shortcomings of BharatNet 1 and 2, we have fixed the issues and are executing with full accountability. Currently, only 15 lakh rural households are connected. Our target is 1.5 crore households in the first phase," Pemmasani said.
Vision for a 'Trustworthy, Proud, and Profitable' BSNL
"Communication infrastructure is central to Prime Minister Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. It is not just about towers and cables, it is about changing the mindset and culture of public institutions," the Minister added, summarizing his five-year vision for BSNL as "trustworthy, proud, and profitable." (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)