Connecting India's Villages: A Digital Revolution

The Indian government has announced an ambitious plan to connect six lakh villages across the country with high-speed optical fibre broadband within the next three years. This initiative was revealed by Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal at the CII–GCC Business Summit.

Mittal emphasized the project's potential to expand Global Capability Centers (GCCs), which are currently based in major cities, to tier 2 and 3 towns. Bharatnet Phase 3, with an outlay of Rs 1.39 lakh crore, aims to connect every gram panchayat and its associated villages with an optical fibre cable network.

Additionally, the project will link mobile towers to boost network speeds, supporting future 6G services. With India offering low data costs and strong digital infrastructure, the country positions itself as a prime location for GCC expansion, digital innovation, and ease of business for cable landing stations.

(With inputs from agencies.)