Gandhinagar, 24 June 2025: In a landmark development for India’s digital infrastructure, the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) has officially commenced operations in Gujarat under the state-led model. A quadripartite agreement was signed between the Government of India, Government of Gujarat, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Gujarat Fibre Grid Network Limited (GFGNL) through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN). This makes Gujarat the first state in India to formalize such an agreement under the amended program.
The signing ceremony, held in Gandhinagar, was attended by Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom), Government of India, Shri Pankaj Joshi, Chief Secretary, Gujarat, Shri Niraj Verma, Administrator of DBN, DoT, and Ms. Mona K. Khandhar, Principal Secretary, DST Gujarat.
Gujarat Pioneers State-Led Digital Empowerment
This agreement marks a crucial milestone as Gujarat leads the way among the eight states approved for the state-led BharatNet model. With an in-principle approval of ₹5,631 crore for capital expenditure and 10 years of operations and maintenance, the state is now poised to digitally empower all of its 14,654 Gram Panchayats and non-GP villages on a demand basis, ensuring high-speed internet access across rural areas.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Digital Bharat Nidhi aims to deliver future-ready, high-uptime digital connectivity that reaches even the remotest corners of Gujarat.
Goals of the Amended BharatNet Rollout in Gujarat
The Amended BharatNet Program in Gujarat focuses on building a state-of-the-art telecom-grade network that supports the delivery of inclusive, resilient, and citizen-centric digital services. With a target uptime of over 98%, the upgraded infrastructure will enhance services in:
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Education
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Healthcare
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Agricultural advisory
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e-Governance
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Livelihood creation
Government departments will also benefit through real-time connectivity for last-mile digital service delivery, particularly benefiting farmers, students, women, and rural entrepreneurs.
Innovations and Use-Case Driven Fiber Network
The rollout will unlock the full value of the state’s digital infrastructure through innovations such as:
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Fiber to Far-Flung Towers – Enhancing mobile network reach and quality in remote villages
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Fiber to Field Offices – Empowering grassroots governance with real-time connectivity
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Fiber to Families – Delivering FTTH (Fiber to the Home) with value-added services
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Fiber to Financial Enterprises – Enabling rural fintech innovation and digital entrepreneurship
These interventions are expected to accelerate digital inclusion, stimulate local economies, and improve India’s rural livelihood index.
About the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP)
The Union Cabinet approved the Amended BharatNet Program on 4 August 2023, to be implemented through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN). The objective is to deliver optical fiber connectivity using MPLS technology to 2.64 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in ring topology and expand coverage to approximately 3.8 lakh non-GP villages on a demand-driven basis.
Salient Features of ABP:
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Total project cost: ₹1,39,579 crore
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CAPEX: ₹42,847 crore
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OPEX (10 years): ₹48,717 crore
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Upgradation of ~1.64 lakh existing GPs (excluding 53,265 under state-led model)
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Creation of ~47,000 new GPs, including Satellite GPs
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Deployment of IP-MPLS network
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10 Gbps downward links at Blocks
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1 Gbps downward links at GPs
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Operation & Maintenance of 2.64 lakh GPs with strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
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Last-mile network to be implemented through the BharatNet Udyami model
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Minimum 25 Mbps download speed per FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home) subscriber
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Goal: Provide 1.5 crore FTTH connections to rural households/institutions/enterprises over the next 5 years
Role of BSNL and Execution Timeline
To ensure timely implementation and high-quality outcomes, BSNL has been appointed as the Project Management Agency (PMA). BSNL will partner with professional Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) under the Design, Build, Operate & Maintain (DBOM) model.
The upgradation and expansion of BharatNet infrastructure is targeted for completion by March 2027.
Gujarat’s Commitment to Digital Leadership
The operationalisation of the Amended BharatNet Program reinforces Gujarat’s role as a pioneer in rural digital empowerment. By integrating cutting-edge digital infrastructure with grassroots governance, the state sets a national benchmark for digital transformation and connectivity for all.
This move not only supports Digital India and Atma-Nirbhar Bharat but also lays the groundwork for future-ready governance, digital entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic growth.
For more details, check press release on PIB website.
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