ITI-Led Consortium Emerges As Lowest Bidder For Rs 3,022-Crore BharatNet Project

ITI Ltd. and its consortium partner emerged as the lowest bidder for a BharatNet phase-3 project worth Rs 3,022 crore, according to an exchange filing on Thursday.

The company emerged as the lowest bidder for the project in Himachal Pradesh for package no. 8, and in West Bengal, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands for package no. 9, it said.

The ITI-led consortium succeeded in these two packages out of 11 packages for which tender was opened till now out of a total of 16 packages covering the length and breadth of the country, the filing said.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. had invited tenders for design, supply, construction, installation, upgradation, operation and maintenance of the middle-mile network of BharatNet in the 16 packages or circles. BharatNet phase-3 project is envisaged for the development of the middle-mile network of BharatNet on design, build, operate and maintain model.

BharatNet project is funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund under the Department of Telecommunications. The project aims to bridge the 'digital divide' by delivering high-speed broadband connectivity with bandwidth of 100 mbps to all gram panchayats and villages in India ensuring equitable access to online services for all, especially those in rural areas. The project encompasses connecting all 6.4 lakh villages, blocks, and gram panchayats across India with high-speed broadband internet connectivity.

"We are delighted to have emerged as L1 for the prestigious BharatNet phase-3 project in the states of Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal, Sikkim, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands," Rajesh Rai, chairperson and managing director of ITI, said. "BharatNet is a nation building project and it gives me immense satisfaction to be part of the execution of this gigantic project."

Shares of ITI closed 14.86% higher at Rs 266.49 apiece on the NSE, compared to a 1.16% decline at the benchmark NSE Nifty 50.