PM unveils Rs 60,000 crore projects in Odisha

Jharsuguda, Sep 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated BSNL’s indigenously developed ‘Swadeshi’ 4G stack, marking India’s entry into a select group of nations manufacturing homegrown telecom equipment.

The launch, coinciding with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s silver jubilee, also saw the commissioning of more than 97,500 mobile 4G towers across the country.

According to PTI, these include over 92,600 BSNL-operated sites, built with indigenous technology at a cost of around Rs.37,000 crore. More than 18,900 towers have been funded under the Digital Bharat Nidhi to connect some 26,700 unserved villages in remote, border, Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, and J&K, potentially benefiting over 20 lakh new subscribers. The towers are solar-powered, forming India’s largest cluster of green telecom infrastructure. Hailing the achievement, Modi said the launch of the ‘Swadeshi’ 4G stack places India alongside Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, and China in the league of countries with indigenous telecom manufacturing capability. “When 2G, 3G, and 4G services were introduced globally, India was dependent on foreign technology. Now, India is advancing towards becoming a global telecom manufacturing hub,” he remarked.

The Prime Minister stressed that the expansion of 4G will directly benefit over two crore people nationwide. “Approximately 30,000 villages, which previously lacked high-speed internet access, will now be connected through this initiative,” he said. Highlighting the benefits, Modi added that the new connectivity would help rural children attend online classes, enable farmers to access real-time crop prices, and allow patients in distant locations to consult doctors through telemedicine. He further noted that enhanced telecom services would greatly support India’s armed forces by providing secure communication channels in remote and border regions. Modi underlined that while India has already rolled out the world’s fastest 5G services, the BSNL towers inaugurated are also equipped to support 5G upgrades.

The commissioning of the towers, coupled with the launch of BSNL’s indigenous 4G stack, is being seen as a significant stride towards sustainable infrastructure and India’s ambitions of digital self-reliance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore in Jharsuguda, calling the day a “historic step” in Odisha’s journey towards prosperity and self-reliance. Greeting the gathering during the ongoing Navratri festival, the Prime Minister said he felt fortunate to visit the sacred land of Maa Samalei and Maa Ramachandi. He acknowledged the large presence of women at the event, remarking, “The blessings of our mothers and sisters are the true source of strength. I offer my salutations to the people of Odisha.”

PM Modi said Odisha had resolved during the last Assembly elections to pursue a new commitment towards development and that the state was now progressing rapidly with support from both the Centre and the state government. “Today projects worth thousands of crores are being launched for the development of Odisha and the nation,” he declared. He also flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express between Berhampur and Surat, and laid the foundation stone for several railway projects, including the Sambalpur–Sarla rail flyover and the doubling of the Koraput–Baiguda line.