BSNL likely to make profit in next four years

State-owned telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is likely to make profit in the financial year 2026-27. The Central Government has taken some measures to improve the performance of BSNL. Its loss between April and September last year was Rs 3,589 crore.

Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha told that in the period from April to September last year BSNL The revenue was Rs 9,366 crore and the expenditure was Rs 12,956 crore. It had registered a loss of Rs 6,982 crore in 2021-22. “BSNL is likely to achieve net profit in the financial year 2026-27,” Chouhan said. The Union Cabinet had approved a revival package for BSNL and MTNL about four years ago. The package includes measures such as infusion of fresh capital to upgrade BSNL’s services, allocating spectrum, reducing deficit in the balance sheet and upgrading the company’s fiber network by merging it with Bharat Broadband Nigam Limited.

BSNL has plans to upgrade 4G technology to 5G. The company has around 1.35 lakh mobile towers across the country. It has more presence in rural areas where other telecom companies do not provide complete coverage. BSNL has asked Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to provide equipment for 5G testing.

Last year, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that BSNL would have a big role in strengthening this sector. He had told, “Telecom technology stack will be launched. It is 4G technology stack which will be upgraded to 5G in five to seven months. It will start on around 1.35 lakh telecom towers across the country.” He said that after starting 5G network, BSNL will become a big company in this sector. Reliance Jio, one of the country’s top telecom companies, has signed contracts with Europe’s telecom equipment suppliers Nokia and Ericsson to build its mega 5G network. Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson has announced a long-term contract with Reliance Jio to build 5G networks.