25,000 km fiber network by Road Transport Ministry in three years

27 Jan 2023 CW Team

“The Government wants to increase the leased OFC infrastructure from 2,000 km to 25,000 km in the next three years”, the Ministry stated on the financial sustainability of the OFC model through initial investment. Large parts of the nation's National Highways are completely devoid of cell network access, which is quite worrying because it makes it difficult to contact emergency services. In addition to safety, having some level of mobile connectivity when travelling is becoming increasingly crucial in the modern era as navigational services and many other forms of crucial communications rely on mobile connectivity.

A parliamentary committee had advised the road ministry to take the necessary steps in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications and other relevant entities after taking note of this information. The National Broadband Mission was a programme the government launched in 2019 to expedite the expansion of the digital communications infrastructure. One of the main focuses of this strategy, which calls for building 50 lakh kilometres of OFC infrastructure in India by 2024, is accelerating fiberisation.

In order to create smart and digital highways, the Road Transport Ministry, one of the initiative's major stakeholders, is closely collaborating with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). This is done by installing dark-fibre connectivity along national highways, which enables users to connect their devices directly and immediately. With the help of this effort, the government will have the ability to connect rural portions of the nation to the internet, allowing users like private players and local panchayats to connect via the tapping point or the closest highway stretch. The OFC infrastructure has been built to handle growing data volumes through the year 2050.

In order to install OFC (Optical Fiber Cable) infrastructure along 25,000 km of national highways within the next three years, the Union Ministry of Road Transport has developed a complex strategy. In this context, bids have been requested for the installation of OFC ducts around 2,000 km at a cost of INR 5 billion. There are two pilot projects in this category: the Hyderabad-Bangalore National Highway and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, both of which are brownfield projects. Both the Hyderabad-Bangalore National Highway and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway travel through 23 districts, affecting a combined population of almost 6.58 billion. “The Government wants to increase the leased OFC infrastructure from 2,000 km to 25,000 km in the next three years”, the Ministry stated on the financial sustainability of the OFC model through initial investment. Large parts of the nation's National Highways are completely devoid of cell network access, which is quite worrying because it makes it difficult to contact emergency services. In addition to safety, having some level of mobile connectivity when travelling is becoming increasingly crucial in the modern era as navigational services and many other forms of crucial communications rely on mobile connectivity. A parliamentary committee had advised the road ministry to take the necessary steps in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications and other relevant entities after taking note of this information. The National Broadband Mission was a programme the government launched in 2019 to expedite the expansion of the digital communications infrastructure. One of the main focuses of this strategy, which calls for building 50 lakh kilometres of OFC infrastructure in India by 2024, is accelerating fiberisation. In order to create smart and digital highways, the Road Transport Ministry, one of the initiative's major stakeholders, is closely collaborating with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). This is done by installing dark-fibre connectivity along national highways, which enables users to connect their devices directly and immediately. With the help of this effort, the government will have the ability to connect rural portions of the nation to the internet, allowing users like private players and local panchayats to connect via the tapping point or the closest highway stretch. The OFC infrastructure has been built to handle growing data volumes through the year 2050.

Infrastructure Energy

22 Oct 2025

KEC Secures Rs 10, 380 Mn Substation Order in Saudi Arabia

KEC International Ltd., a global infrastructure EPC major, and an RPG Group company, has secured a new order worth Rs 10,380 million for the Design, Supply and Installation of a 380 kV GIS Substation in Saudi Arabia.Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, KEC International Ltd., commented, “We are delighted with the successive order wins in our T&D business. In a landmark achievement, we have secured our largest ever substation order. This prestigious order in the Middle East has widened our portfolio and strengthened our presence in the region. With this strategic win, our year-to-date or..

Infrastructure Urban

22 Oct 2025

Central Bank of India executes first fully digital SCF deal on PSB Xchange

In a major advancement for India’s banking sector, Central Bank of India (CBI) has successfully completed the country’s first fully digital supply chain finance (SCF) transaction on PSB Xchange—a unified multi-lender platform launched by PSB Alliance. PSB Xchange is designed to connect public and private sector banks, NBFCs, and fintechs with corporates and their channel partners to facilitate supply chain finance and small business loans. The transaction marks the first time a fintech-originated corporate lead has been seamlessly processed through the PSB Xchange ecosystem. The lead fl..

Infrastructure Energy

22 Oct 2025

Atlanta Electricals secures Rs 1,835 Mn transformer order from BNC Power

Atlanta Electricals Limited (“Atlanta”) has secured an order worth Rs 1,835 million from BNC Power Projects Ltd for the supply of extra high voltage (EHV) transformers and a bus reactor for its Pugal site. The contract includes a mix of 315 MVA, 400 KV and 100 MVA, 132 KV transformers along with a 400 KV bus reactor. The project scope encompasses design, manufacturing, testing, and supply to the project site. Deliveries will be sequenced following engineering and drawing approvals, offering multi-quarter execution visibility and ensuring a steady production run-rate. The order will be ex..