PM Modi launches BSNL Swadeshi 4G, flags off Amrit Bharat Express in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth over ₹60,000 crore in Odisha in a bid to boost train travel, healthcare, education, and rural housing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated a series of development projects worth over ₹60,000 crore in Jharsuguda district of Odisha. The state's Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati were also present.

 

The projects span telecommunications, railways, healthcare, higher education, skill development, and rural housing, aiming to boost economic growth and social welfare across the state.

 

BSNL’s ‘swadeshi’ 4G network rolled out

 

A major highlight was the launch of BSNL’s ‘Swadeshi’ 4G network. Over 97,500 4G mobile towers have been commissioned at a cost of ₹37,000 crore, including 92,600 BSNL sites built with indigenous technology.

 

 

More than 18,900 sites under the Digital Bharat Nidhi initiative will bring connectivity to 26,700 previously unconnected villages, including remote, border, and left-wing extremism-affected areas, benefiting over 2 million new subscribers.   

 

  During the event, PM Modi said, “We decided that this important technology of the telecom sector should be developed in India. It is a matter of pride that BSNL has developed a swadeshi 4G technology."

 

He added, "Swadeshi 4G network begins today from here, as part of which 100,000 4G mobile towers have been set up across the country. Border districts and far-fetched villages, where high-speed internet and connectivity were an issue, will greatly benefit from this. Our soldiers will also be able to use safe indigenous services for connectivity..."

 

The launch also positions India among countries like Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, and China that manufacture homegrown telecom equipment. The network is cloud-based, future-ready, and upgradeable to 5G.

 

Amrit Bharat Express flagged off

 

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Amrit Bharat Express between Berhampur - which is in southern Odisha - and Udhna (Surat). This new service promises affordable and comfortable connectivity across states, supporting tourism, trade, and employment.

 

PM Modi also laid the foundation stones and dedicated several railway projects, including:

 

• Rail flyover at Sambalpur-Sarla

• Doubling of the Koraput-Baiguda line

• Manabar-Koraput-Gorapur line   

 

Healthcare and education initiatives

 

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation for upgrading MKCG Medical College (Berhampur) and VIMSAR (Sambalpur) into world-class super-speciality hospitals with enhanced bed capacity, trauma units, dental colleges, maternal care, and expanded academic infrastructure.

 

In the education sector, foundation stones for the expansion of eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were laid, creating capacity for 10,000 new students over the next four years. Several technical education and skill development initiatives by the Odisha government were also launched.

 

PM Modi emphasised Odisha’s development potential, saying, “Odisha has seen many decades of suffering, but this decade will take Odisha towards prosperity... The Central government has recently approved two semiconductor units, and a semiconductor park will also be built here.”

 

(With agency inputs)