BSNL & Vi

Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia often claims that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is back to operational profitability. Statements are made with a rhetorical flourish. Once left on “ventilator support” by the previous UPA government, BSNL has now firmly re-established itself in the hearts of Indian consumers.

The minister said, “At one point, BSNL was not even on ventilator support but in a critically failing state. Prime Minister Modi made a strong resolve to bring BSNL back into full service for the country. Today, we are seeing the result of that commitment,” he said in a media statement. He was referring to BSNL’s net profit of Rs 280 crore in Q4-FY25, its second consecutive profitable quarter after nearly two decades. The May issue of TelecomLive revealed how accounting tricks were used to show operational profitability.