Govt Expands Broadband Reach in Rural India via NBM
ECONOMY & POLICY

Govt Expands Broadband Reach in Rural India via NBM

The Government of India is taking significant steps to enhance broadband connectivity in rural areas through the National Broadband Mission (NBM), including initiatives in Tamil Nadu.

Key Initiatives Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal, launched on 14th May 2022, streamlines Right of Way (RoW) approvals for laying optical fibre cables (OFC) and installing telecom towers. Telecommunications Act 2023 and Right of Way Rules 2024 (effective 1st January 2025) further simplify RoW permissions to accelerate network expansion. BharatNet Project aims to provide broadband access to all Gram Panchayats and villages on demand. High-speed internet schemes target remote regions, including the North-East, Islands, LWE-affected areas, Aspirational Districts, and border villages. Submarine optical fibre cables connect Chennai–Andaman & Nicobar and Kochi–Lakshadweep, improving connectivity in coastal regions.

Tamil Nadu Leads in Broadband Expansion Under the state-led model, the government has invested Rs 15.44 billion, of which Rs 10.93 billion has been utilised as of February 2025. 10,298 out of 12,524 Gram Panchayats are now service-ready, with 53,511 km of Optical Fibre Cable laid.

NBM 2.0 to Launch in April 2025 Building on the success of NBM 1.0, the second phase, starting 1st April 2025, will accelerate India's digital transformation and boost global competitiveness. This information was shared by Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, in a Rajya Sabha reply on 20th March 2025.

The Government of India is taking significant steps to enhance broadband connectivity in rural areas through the National Broadband Mission (NBM), including initiatives in Tamil Nadu. Key Initiatives Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal, launched on 14th May 2022, streamlines Right of Way (RoW) approvals for laying optical fibre cables (OFC) and installing telecom towers. Telecommunications Act 2023 and Right of Way Rules 2024 (effective 1st January 2025) further simplify RoW permissions to accelerate network expansion. BharatNet Project aims to provide broadband access to all Gram Panchayats and villages on demand. High-speed internet schemes target remote regions, including the North-East, Islands, LWE-affected areas, Aspirational Districts, and border villages. Submarine optical fibre cables connect Chennai–Andaman & Nicobar and Kochi–Lakshadweep, improving connectivity in coastal regions. Tamil Nadu Leads in Broadband Expansion Under the state-led model, the government has invested Rs 15.44 billion, of which Rs 10.93 billion has been utilised as of February 2025. 10,298 out of 12,524 Gram Panchayats are now service-ready, with 53,511 km of Optical Fibre Cable laid. NBM 2.0 to Launch in April 2025 Building on the success of NBM 1.0, the second phase, starting 1st April 2025, will accelerate India's digital transformation and boost global competitiveness. This information was shared by Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, in a Rajya Sabha reply on 20th March 2025.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code