'BSNL crossed operating profit of ₹5K cr in FY26'

State-run telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has surpassed an operating profit of₹ 5,000 crore in the current financial year, up from ₹2,300 crore in the previous year, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday.

- AASHISH ARYAN

"This means that BSNL is generating cash flow now. In terms of the number of subscribers, we have gone from 8.7 crore to 9.1 crore. For the first time, there has been an increase in the number of subscribers. For 4G alone, we had 9,000 sites as of June last year. Today, we have 98,000 sites," he said. Overall, BSNL is serving more than 22 million people across the country now, he added.

The government-owned telecom company has invested close to ₹25,000 crore in capital expansion, its highest ever till date, Scindia said. He was speaking to the media before the India-wide rollout of the telecom firm's 4G network.