BharatNet
India's Rural Broadband Mission
BharatNet (formerly National Optical Fibre Network, NOFN) is one of India's flagship digital infrastructure programmes, aimed at providing broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats (GPs) in the country. The project was originally approved by the Union Cabinet on October 25, 2011. In July 2015, NOFN was renamed BharatNet and revamped. The programme is implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Ministry of Communications, and is funded through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) — renamed "Digital Bharat Nidhi" (DBN) under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The total Cabinet-approved outlay for BharatNet (Phase I and II) stands at ₹42,068 crore (exclusive of GST and local levies).
- Original approval: October 25, 2011 (as NOFN — National Optical Fibre Network)
- Renamed BharatNet: July 2015
- Implementing agency: Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) — SPV under Ministry of Communications
- Funding source: Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), renamed Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under Telecommunications Act, 2023
- Total approved outlay: ₹42,068 crore (Phase I + II)
- Progress (as of 2025): 2,14,325 GPs connected; 6,93,303 km of optical fibre cable (OFC) laid
- Coverage target: 2.5 lakh gram panchayats
● Tracked since February 22, 2026 · last seen May 13, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes