BSNL'S RISE FROM THE ASHES: A TALE OF REVIVAL AND RESOLVE

By combining cost-effectiveness with reliable services, the public sector telco is redefining its role and relevance in India's evolving telecom landscape

- TV RAMACHANDRAN

T he Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has reported that BSNL added approximately 0.85 million subscribers in September 2024, while other major telecom players lost millions during the same period. This marks a notable milestone for BSNL, evoking a sense of déjà vu reminiscent of 2002 when BSNL entered the cellular mobile sector with a bold vision and a bang. Back then, it ventured into rural and remote areas-territories dismissed by market-savvy private operators as commercially unviable. Yet, BSNL's trailblazing efforts proved so successful that those initial sceptics were left to follow meekly in its footsteps.

BSNL's recent achievement, while commendable, is likely the result of multiple factors converging rather than a single cause. While the recent tariff hikes by private operators-essential to fund 5G rollouts may have triggered the shift, they are far from the dominant reason.