Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is an Indian Central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), a telecommunications institution under the ownership of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications. It was incorporated on September 15, 2000, and formally began operations on October 1, 2000, by taking over the services of the erstwhile Central Government Departments of Telecom Services and Telecom Operations. The creation of BSNL was a corporatization effort intended to modernize the telecom sector and ensure the provision of affordable, reliable services, particularly in rural and remote areas where private operators were reluctant to invest.
BSNL operates by providing a comprehensive range of services, including fixed-line telephony, mobile telephony (GSM), broadband, and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) across India, with the exception of the metropolitan areas of Delhi and Mumbai, which are served by the related PSU, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). BSNL is a key implementing agency for the government's BharatNet program, which aims to extend fiber connectivity to Gram Panchayats and villages.
The institution has undergone significant recent change through multiple government revival packages, totaling approximately ₹3.22 lakh crore. These packages, including major tranches in 2022 and 2023, involve capital infusion, debt restructuring, and the administrative allotment of 4G and 5G spectrum. A core mechanism of the revival is the nationwide 4G rollout, which utilizes an indigenous TCS-C-DoT technology stack, aligning BSNL with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. This intervention has enabled BSNL to report an operating profit since FY 2020-21.