DOT's 'Samriddh Gram' phygital project wins ITU global honour: Jyotiraditya Scindia
New Delhi, July 9
Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said it is an absolute delight to share that the 'Samriddh Gram Integrated Phygital Services Project' of the Department of Telecommunications has been declared 'Global Winner' of the 'WSIS Prizes 2026' under the 'Enabling Environment' category by the International Telecommunication Union.
In a post on X, the minister said this is also a global recognition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of an inclusive Digital India, where the benefits of technology reach every citizen, including those in our remotest villages.
"Powered by Bharat Net, 'Samriddh Gram' transforms connectivity into opportunity, delivering healthcare, education and digital banking and livelihood services through village-level Samriddhi Kendras," informed Scindia.
This feat also reaffirms India's leadership in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), underscoring that solutions built for India's needs can serve as scalable models for the world.
"My heartfelt congratulations to all the stakeholders behind the achievement," said the minister.
The minister recently said that the Integrated Phygital Service Centre will help realise the vision of PM Modi to deliver healthcare, education, agriculture, financial and e-governance services to people living in rural and remote areas.
The minister inaugurated the Samriddhi Kendra, an integrated "phygital" (physical plus digital) service centre, at Umri village in the Guna district in March under the Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot Initiative of the Department of Telecommunications.
The initiative uses high-speed broadband connectivity created under BharatNet to convert digital infrastructure into a platform for delivering citizen-centric services in rural India.
Scindia said that the initiative aims to bring new opportunities directly to villages by combining technology with essential public services. "Farmers will be able to access real-time insights on soil moisture, nutrients, and crop health through digital tools, making agriculture smarter and more productive," he stated.
Essential government services, from certificates to e-banking, will now be available within the 'Samriddh Gram' itself. This is truly a programme of the future, one that ensures progress reaches every village and every citizen, Scindia explained.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great initiative but I worry about implementation in far-flung areas. Will the broadband actually work without frequent outages? We've seen so many schemes fail on last-mile delivery. Let's hope this one is different.
The phygital concept is brilliant! My grandmother in a remote village still can't use apps, but with a local kendra where someone helps, she can access healthcare and banking. This mixes tech with human touch. 👏
Only if the kendras are staffed with trained people who actually care. In UP, many such centers remain closed half the time. But yes, the vision is good—digital agriculture insights could change farming if done right. 🌾
Impressive that an Indian DPI project won global recognition. The BharatNet backbone is critical—hope connectivity improves in rural areas where even 4G is patchy. This could be a template for other developing nations.
Just hope these Samriddhi Kendras aren't just for show during elections. The idea of combining certificates, banking, and farm data in one place is excellent—execution is key. More power to the team! ✨
This is heartening. As an NRI, I see how far India
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