PM Modi Inaugurates BSNL’s 'Swadeshi' 4G Network, Marking India's Entry Into Telecom Elite Club

By Surabhi Gupta

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, September 27, flipped a ceremonial switch in Jharsuguda, Odisha, signalling an inflection point in India’s telecom history. On the occasion of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s silver jubilee, the PM announced the launch of BSNL's Swadeshi 4G stack, built entirely by indigenous technology, marking India's official entry into the exclusive club of countries that design and manufacture their own telecom products.

Alongside the event, the Prime Minister also commissioned more than 97,500 mobile 4G towers. Around 92,600 of the new towers were developed on India’s 4G stack at a cost of approximately Rs 37,000 crore. The cloud-based network is scalable and fully upgradeable to 5G, and even to 6G, which will secure its use in future service provisions, officials confirmed.

The technology behind the stack

The Swadeshi 4G network is a collaborative effort among India's leading technology institutions and companies, not the work of one.

• C-DOT (Centre for Development of Telematics) developed the core network and software stack.
• Tejas Networks developed the Radio Access Network (RAN) and base stations.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) was responsible for integrating the whole system, deploying its CNOPS platform for real-time management of the end-to-end system.

This collaboration underlines India's capability to develop end-to-end solutions with hardware and software without relying on foreign suppliers.

Modi’s message: From dependence to leadership

In his remarks to the audience, Prime Minister Modi explained that the event was a critical juncture for both Odisha and India’s telecom services. “India’s companies have secured for us a position among the top five countries of the world that have developed indigenous technology to power 4G services,” Modi said. “It is because of BSNL that India is moving towards becoming a global telecom manufacturing hub. Border districts and remote villages, where high-speed internet was once a dream, will greatly benefit from this. Our soldiers will also be able to use safe indigenous services for connectivity.”

The Prime Minister contrasted India’s late entry into earlier telecom generations with the current achievement. “When 2G, 3G, and 4G began in the world, India was far behind. We all know the jokes that circulated on social media. But today, it is a matter of pride that BSNL has developed a Swadeshi 4G technology.”

Scindia: India becomes a producer nation

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who joined the launch from Delhi, hailed the project as an embodiment of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

“With this launch, India has become the fifth country in the world to manufacture telecom equipment,” he said. “Earlier, India was seen as a services nation and a consumer nation. Today, we are a producer nation, an innovation hub, a centre of entrepreneurship and exports.”

Scindia reminded that only Sweden, South Korea, China and Finland had comparable indigenous technology. “Now India joins that league,” he declared.

The scale of the rollout

BSNL officials added that the network is already carrying 22 million subscribers and 4 petabytes of data daily, a sign of its readiness for scale.

• 97,500 mobile towers commissioned, of which 92,600 use indigenous 4G technology.
• 26,700 previously unconnected villages to be covered, including 2,472 in Odisha alone.
• 20 lakh new subscribers expected to come online immediately.
• Nearly 19,000 solar-powered towers, making it India’s largest green telecom deployment.
• 29,000–30,000 villages to be connected under the Digital Bharat Nidhi-backed saturation project.

Rural empowerment and digital inclusion

For decades, telecom infrastructure in India concentrated on profitable urban centres, while villages, border regions, islands, and conflict-affected areas remained underserved. With this rollout, that gap begins to close.

• Education: Children in rural areas are now able to join online classes and have access to digital learning platforms.
• Healthcare: Telemedicine is now a viable option in remote areas, allowing families and patients to participate in video consultations without incurring costs to travel.
• Farming: Farmers can now have real-time updates on weather, mandi prices, and government programmes.
• Entrepreneurship: Digital services, including UPI and eCommerce, are now available in parts of India that are reliant on cash and intermediaries.

Officials noted how the empowerment of rural women and youth would be significant, in particular, as access to digital tools is changing jobs and aspirations.

BSNL’s moment of turnaround

For BSNL, which turned 25 years old this October, the rollout isn't symbolic. After years of loss, decades of outdated infrastructure, and losing relevance due to private competition, the state-owned company has begun to turn profits again, up Rs 262 crore and Rs 280 crore in the last two quarters.

BSNL's subscribers have grown from 8.7 crore to 9 crore, while its 4G users rose from 0.8 crore to 2 crore in just a year. Officials called the Swadeshi Stack a “turnaround moment,” positioning BSNL not as a laggard but rather as the forefront of India’s self-reliance in telecom.

“This project represents the strength of Atmanirbhar Bharat. By building our own telecom stack, we ensure security and resiliency while positioning India as a global leader," a senior DoT officer remarked.

India’s indigenous 4G stack is already attracting international attention. Showcased at the G20 Summit, it has drawn interest from at least 18 countries exploring alternatives to foreign telecom vendors.

At a time when many nations are rethinking dependence on Chinese equipment, India offers a secure, transparent, and affordable solution. “This is not just about India,” a senior TCS executive said. “It is about providing the world a democratic, inclusive model of telecom infrastructure.”

Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal put the achievement in perspective. “India was always known for things like yoga, Bollywood, and cricket. Telecom now gets added to that list,” he said.

He noted that India already has 300–400 million 5G users, expected to grow to 770 million by 2028, with average data consumption of 27 GB per user per month. “India is positioned to shape global telecom standards with indigenous solutions as we move forward towards 6G,” Mittal added.

Talking to ETV Bharat, Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha, Sujeet Kumar, said, “The rollout of 4G networks marks a major milestone in India’s growth story. On the connectivity front, nearly 30,000 villages are set to be linked with 4G in the first phase, powered by indigenous ‘Swadeshi 4G’ technology. This will fuel thousands of entrepreneurs across India and accelerate economic growth."

"Women, particularly those engaged in self-help groups, will be among the biggest beneficiaries. With better internet, they will be able to market their products more effectively and generate employment opportunities for youth. I can cite the example of my own Kalahandi district, where over 300 new towers have been installed in the past couple of years. Many panchayats that were previously unconnected now have mobile and internet access. Even in deep forests, hilly terrains, and remote rural areas, connectivity is reaching every corner," he added.

Combating cybercrime: DoT–FIU-IND MoU

The government coupled the 4G launch with another crucial initiative, strengthening the fight against cyber fraud. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance coordination.

The MoU enables real-time data sharing where DoT will share lists of revoked mobile numbers, and FIU-IND will share numbers linked to suspicious financial transactions. Both agencies will exchange Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) data, categorising numbers by fraud risk. Platforms like DoT’s Sanchar Saathi and FIU’s Finnex 2.0 will anchor this exchange. Early results show nearly 4.8 million fraudulent transactions prevented, saving Rs 140 crore.

Officials said the move represents a shift from reactive to proactive fraud detection, essential in a digital economy handling billions of transactions daily.

Odisha in focus: A promise of prosperity

Modi’s choice of Jharsuguda, Odisha, for the launch was symbolic. The Prime Minister promised that the state, long marked by underdevelopment despite rich natural resources, would see a new decade of prosperity. He announced approvals for two semiconductor units and a semiconductor park in Odisha, tying digital connectivity to industrial growth.

“Odisha has seen decades of suffering. This decade is very important for Odisha,” Modi said, underlining his government’s focus on eastern India.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Sujeet Kumar shed light on the project under which IIIT Bhubaneswar would assist in establishing an EM Path facility in the state. He explained that this initiative would provide substantial support to startups, design firms, and component manufacturers, thereby strengthening Odisha’s entire semiconductor ecosystem.

"Semiconductor projects in Odisha are closely aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Purvodaya.’ Under India Semiconductor Mission 1.0, out of the 10 projects approved by the Government of India, two were sanctioned for Odisha, one an advanced packaging unit, and another one is a silicon carbide compound semiconductor fab," he added. "This clearly reflects the Centre’s commitment towards Odisha. Odisha will definitely become at least a $10 billion semiconductor ecosystem by 2030.”