Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani gave an interview to DD India. In the interview he talked about the transformation of  BSNL.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), once a struggling public sector enterprise, is scripting an impressive revival story under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, emerging as a key driver of digital inclusion and national development in just two years. Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, described the transformation as both challenging and deeply satisfying. He highlighted the fixing of problem areas such as culture of work, the condition of towers, outdated infrastructure brought about this change.

Dr. Pemmasani added, “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.”

While sharing BSNL’s growth story, the Minister of State said that the financial turnaround is striking. BSNL’s revenue has grown from ₹ 21,000 crore to ₹ 25,000 crore, a healthy 20–25% increase in two years. More significantly, EBITDA has jumped dramatically from just ₹ 50 crore to nearly ₹ 7,000 crore, reflecting improved operational efficiency and a clear path to profitability.

Dr. Pemmasani explained the methodical approach behind this success. Dr. Pemmasani said that in states like Andhra Pradesh, tower uptime was only 75%. We set a target of 95%, replaced 50,000 batteries across 50,000 towers, upgraded power plants and replaced ageing cables. We then set systematic targets at every circle and state level for enterprise business and new mobile connections. Regular monitoring and accountability have been central to this effort.

A proud milestone has been the rapid rollout of indigenous 4G technology. Dr. Pemmasani said, “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.”

On the critical issue of rebuilding public trust, the Minister was pragmatic yet optimistic. He said,  “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.”

Dr. Pemmasani highlighted one of the most impactful outcomes has been in remote and tribal areas. Around 35,000 villages previously lacked proper connectivity due to techno-commercial challenges, 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,”

He highlighted how connectivity is directly contributing to national security and social stability. He noted that in areas like Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh, BSNL’s towers have enabled people to contact the police and authorities quickly. This empowerment is helping reduce left-wing extremism. Once connectivity reaches these regions, development follows, and extremism fades. 

Complementing BSNL’s efforts is the ambitious BharatNet project. “We are investing nearly ₹ 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,” Dr Pemmasani said. He added that village-level entrepreneurs are being encouraged to expand last-mile usage.

Dr. Pemmasani emphasised, “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.”

In the last part of his interview, the MoS summed up his vision for BSNL in the next five years in three words ‘Trustworthy, proud, and profitable.”

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NJ/AN

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