Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday said the development of an indigenous 4G telecom stack for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited marks a major step towards India’s self-reliance in telecom equipment, placing the country among a select group of nations with such capabilities.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Scindia said India is steadily moving towards technological independence in the telecom sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The development of an indigenous 4G telecom stack for BSNL represents a strategic move towards domestic manufacturing of critical telecom equipment, placing India among a select group of nations with such capabilities,” he stated.
The minister also highlighted the revival of BSNL, saying the public sector telecom company has posted quarterly net profits for the first time in nearly 18 years in FY 2024–25. He added that BSNL’s subscriber base has increased from 8.55 crore to 9.27 crore, showing growing consumer trust.
“Around 1 lakh 4G towers have already been rolled out, and 5G services will be introduced after the 4G network stabilizes,” the minister stated. Scindia further informed the House about the government’s efforts to expand mobile connectivity, especially in border and remote areas.
He said villages within 50 kilometres of the international border are now being seen as the “first villages” of the country under the Vibrant Villages Programme, reflecting a shift in development thinking. The government is also supporting telecom expansion through the Digital Bharat Nidhi, which funds connectivity projects in rural and difficult areas.
In Rajasthan, he said, over 97 per cent of border villages already have mobile coverage. Highlighting progress in Uttarakhand, the minister said 684 out of 705 border villages have already been connected, with efforts ongoing to cover the rest.
“India now has one of the world’s largest telecom networks, supporting services like digital payments and direct benefit transfers,” Scindia added. He also pointed to the success of the BharatNet programme, under which more than 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats have been connected with broadband.