Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia hails DoT's Samriddh Gram project win at Global WSIS Prize 2026
New Delhi, July 9
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia hails DoT's flagship Samriddh Gram project's Global win at WSIS Prizes 2026 under Action Line C6 - Enabling Environment. The International Telecommunication Union declared the project, officially known as Samriddh Gram: Integrated Phygital Service Delivery Model Enabled by BharatNet, the global winner after a multi-stage evaluation process that included global online voting and final expert adjudication.
More than 2.2 million votes were cast globally across all nominated categories during the voting phase.
According to the Ministry of Communications, the initiative establishes village-level Samriddhi Kendras as one-stop hubs. These centres utilise the BharatNet fibre backbone to deliver integrated services covering healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, skilling, and e-governance directly to rural communities. The model combines digital platforms with physical service delivery to ensure local accessibility.
Union Minister Scindia shared the achievement on his X account, describing the international honour as another feather in the cap for Bharat on the global stage. He congratulated the Department of Telecommunications, field teams, and local communities for their collective efforts in securing this milestone.
"Samriddh Gram is not merely about providing internet connectivity. It is about converting digital connectivity into meaningful services and real opportunities for rural communities," Union Minister Scindia said.
He said the honour reflects 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 the remotest villages.
"By leveraging BharatNet fibre connectivity, the project brings together healthcare, education, agriculture, digital banking, e-Governance, skilling and livelihood services through village-level Samriddhi Kendras," the Minister added.
The Ministry stated that the project demonstrates how telecom infrastructure evolves beyond basic connectivity into measurable socio-economic transformation. The multi-stage selection process involved international screening, where Samriddh Gram first secured a place among the top five Champion Projects in its category before final adjudication.
"Solutions developed in India, for India's diverse and complex realities, can serve as scalable models for the world," the Union Minister said.
"This recognition reinforces our commitment to leveraging telecommunications and Digital Public Infrastructure to bridge the digital divide and deliver meaningful socio-economic transformation across rural India," Scindia said.
The Ministry of Communications reaffirmed its commitment to expanding these citizen-centric digital initiatives to support the empowerment of rural villages.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally, a project that actually delivers on the ground! The integrated phygital model is brilliant - combining digital services with physical centers ensures even those without smartphones can benefit. My mother used the banking service at our local kendra last week, and it was seamless. Kudos to the field teams!
As someone working in digital inclusion, this is impressive. India's approach of using BharatNet infrastructure to deliver comprehensive services is a model many developing nations could learn from. The global recognition at WSIS is well-deserved. Would love to see more data on the measurable impact in the coming years.
Good achievement, but let's also remember that BharatNet's rollout has been uneven. Many villages still lack reliable fiber connectivity. While the Samriddh Gram concept is excellent, the execution needs to accelerate. The government must ensure no village is left behind in this digital transformation.
This is what 'Vocal for Local, Global for Indian' truly means! 🎯 The world is recognizing our digital public infrastructure. From UPI to Samriddh Gram, India is showing how technology can empower the grassroots. Proud moment for every citizen!
Great news! My cousin in a remote village in Rajasthan uses the Samriddhi Kendra for telemedicine consultations. It's saved them hours of travel to the city. The inclusion of skilling and livelihood services is particularly valuable for rural youth. Hope this model expands to cover all 600,000+ villages!
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