Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has secured an add-on Advance Purchase Order (APO) worth ₹2,903.22 crore from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to deploy and maintain its 4G mobile network at 18,685 sites across India.
Key Highlights
- TCS to deploy and maintain 4G infrastructure at 18,685 sites across India.
- This initiative supports BSNL's nationwide 4G rollout under the Atmanirbhar Bharat program.
The APO, which was received on May 20, covers network infrastructure planning, engineering, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, and annual maintenance, according to a regulatory filing made by TCS on Wednesday. Following the completion of the requirements and supporting documentation specified in the APO, detailed purchase orders will be issued.
This most recent order marks a major turning point in the state-owned telecom operator's nationwide 4G rollout and builds upon an existing agreement between TCS and BSNL.
According to the company, it is anticipated to contribute significantly to revenue, especially in light of India's growing drive for widespread 4G coverage and, eventually, 5G adoption.
According to data shared earlier this month by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), BSNL, which has been struggling to regain market share, made a modest turnaround in March, adding 49,177 users after consecutive monthly losses. The telco, which has maintained consistent tariffs, saw an increase in entry-level plan users last year, but the additions tapered off by the end of 2024.
BSNL to add 100,000 new 4G towers this year
As part of a broader plan to regain its place in India's cutthroat telecom market, BSNL intends to install 100,000 4G towers nationwide by the end of this year. The TCS agreement is expected to play a critical role in reaching that milestone.
The market leader Reliance Jio, which added 2.17 million new users in March and accounted for 74% of all wireless subscriber growth, continues to outpace the state-owned telecom, though. In the same time frame, Vodafone Idea (Vi) lost 0.54 million users, while Bharti Airtel added 1.25 million.
TCS shares were trading at ₹3,514 per share on the BSE on Wednesday, up 0.46 percent.
