SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Institutions: Ministry of Communications | Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, chaired BSNL’s 2nd Strategic Review and Planning Meeting for FY 2025–26, charting an aggressive roadmap focused on operational execution, profitability, and service quality. The strategic push aims to sustain the momentum of BSNL’s historic back-to-back quarterly net profits in FY 2024–25.
Key financial targets and operational directives include:
Financial Target: BSNL’s annual revenue target for FY 2025–26 is set at ₹27,500 crore, representing a significant intended increase. The company achieved ₹11,134 crore in revenue during the first half (H1 FY26).
ARPU Improvement: The Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) rose by 12% from ₹81 (Q1) to ₹92 (Q2).
QoS Focus: The Minister declared Quality of Service (QoS) as the “non-negotiable mantra”, directing Chief General Managers (CGMs) to achieve daily improvements in uptime and customer satisfaction indices.
Cost Discipline: CGMs were directed to achieve cost discipline and ensure no circle reports negative Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA).
The revival is heavily driven by technological modernization under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative:
4G/5G Rollout: BSNL has installed over 96,300 4G sites, with 91,281 sites operational as of July 2025. The Minister announced plans to upgrade all 4G sites to 5G within six to eight months using India’s entirely homegrown telecom stack developed by TCS, C-DOT, and Tejas Networks.
Capital Support: This expansion is supported by ₹3.22 lakh crore in total revival packages, including a recent ₹6,982 crore capital expenditure (Capex) boost sanctioned in 2025.
This strategic meeting validates the government’s multi-trillion rupee investment in BSNL as a tool for digital sovereignty. The focus on QoS, financial accountability (positive EBITDA), and aggressive, indigenously developed 4G-to-5G migration aims to make BSNL a commercially viable competitor and a strategic asset for strengthening India’s digital infrastructure.
What is Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)?→ Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is a key metric in the telecom sector that measures the average amount of revenue generated by a service provider from a single customer over a specified period (e.g., one quarter). An increase in ARPU, as BSNL achieved from ₹81 to ₹92, is a direct indicator of improved profitability, better monetization of services, and increased customer value.
Follow the full news here: BSNL Nears Turnaround With 93% Of Q2 Revenue Target Achieved BSNL’s Q2 Performance