The government held a strategic review and planning meet (SRPM) to review annual results of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for financial year 2025-26 (FY26) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The union minister of communications and development of north eastern region described BSNL’s performance as transformative. He stated that BSNL has successfully transitioned from a 3G provider to a competitive 4G player, playing a pivotal role in the government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. It holds historic significance of India joining an elite group of just five countries worldwide to develop end-to-end indigenous telecom capabilities.

During the proceedings, the union minister conducted a comprehensive evaluation of BSNL’s operational metrics, focusing on quality of service, subscriber base expansion, average revenue per user (ARPU) enhancement, and the attainment of revenue milestones. He lauded BSNL’s key financial and technical achievements, particularly the significant improvement in ARPU to Rs 101 in FY26 from Rs 71 in the previous year, a 42 per cent year-on-year growth.

The SRPM also served as a platform to honour outstanding performances across various telecom circles and business verticals:

  • Overall best performing circle: The Odisha circle was honoured for its balanced excellence, achieving approximately 21 per cent growth in revenue from services and consistently meeting high performance targets.
  • Enterprise business (EB) leaders: The Odisha circle received additional recognition for a remarkable 68 per cent year-on-year growth in the EB segment in revenue from services. Nationally, the enterprise business vertical was named the best performing business vertical, with a 15 per cent increase in revenue from services over the previous year.
  • EBITDA and ARPU improvements: The Karnataka Circle (KTK) was recognised significant earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) growth, while Assam and Jharkhand were praised for achieving positive growth across all three business segments. Additionally, Uttar Pradesh (East) and Jharkhand were commended for notable improvements in fibre-to-the-home ARPU.

Furthermore, the minister emphasised the need for focused execution, accountability, and rigorous monitoring at the circle level. He urged all circle general managers to emulate the best practices of high-performing circles to ensure sustained momentum, improved customer experience, and continued financial excellence in the years ahead. He further underscored the necessity of continued alignment with telecom equipment manufacturers to strengthen the domestic ecosystem and consolidate India’s position as a leader in indigenous telecom technology.