The Department of Telecommunications told the Parliamentary Committee that state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has proposed a capital investment plan of around Rs 770 billion (Rs 770 bn) over the next five years, including two lakh (0.2 million; 0.2 mn) additional 4G sites, network strengthening and targeted 5G rollout in high-traffic and strategic areas. The department said the plan would fund an integrated customer-support system and that with the proposed infusion BSNL is projected to achieve operational breakeven by FY2028-29 and nearly 98 per cent nationwide coverage.

DoT has placed a demand under the approved BSNL revival package for an additional capital infusion of Rs 215.88 bn for FY2026-27, separate from the five-year proposal. The department noted the company recorded Rs 260.22 bn of capital expenditure in FY2024-25, which it described as the largest capex in the firm's history focused on 4G rollout, power modernisation and fibre expansion for BharatNet.

Government capital infusion into BSNL rose to Rs 719.40 bn in FY2024-25 from Rs 567.85 bn in FY2023-24. DoT told the committee that the heavy capex increased depreciation and widened losses in FY2025-26 but created the infrastructure base for future revenue growth.

Operational revenue increased from Rs 191.31 bn in FY2022-23 to Rs 232.59 bn in FY2025-26 and is projected to reach Rs 264.07 bn in FY2026-27, while losses were projected to widen to Rs 59.46 bn and total expenditure was estimated at Rs 348.53 bn. The committee urged expenditure rationalisation, greater infrastructure sharing and prioritisation of higher-revenue segments such as 4G, 5G, enterprise services and fibre.

DoT said BSNL is pursuing infrastructure sharing and asset monetisation, reporting that 11,398 towers leased to other providers generated Rs 10.19 bn in FY2025-26 and around 300,000 route-km of dark fibre earned Rs 4.10 bn. The department added that consolidated operational costs were reduced from Rs 94.60 bn to Rs 89.70 bn and that 105,290 indigenous 4G sites (0.105 million; 0.105 mn) had been installed with future upgrade capability to 5G.