India Post and BSNL Join Hands: SIM Sales and Recharge Services at Post Offices

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Department of Posts and state-owned telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enable the sale and recharge of BSNL SIM cards at post offices. An official statement from the government said the MoU aims to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas.

According to the government, 1.65 lakh post offices of India Post will serve as sales points for BSNL prepaid SIM cards and top-up services. BSNL will provide SIM stock and training, while the postal department will onboard new customers for BSNL and facilitate transactions in a standardized and secure manner. The statement said that the national level rollout is being done after the success of the pilot project in Assam. The initiative aims to make BSNL's telecom services more accessible and affordable, especially for citizens living in remote areas of the country, who often face the problem of limited connectivity.

"This partnership combines the reliable reach of India Post with the telecom expertise of BSNL to provide affordable and accessible connectivity to every citizen," said Manisha Bansal Badal, General Manager (Citizen Centric Services & RB), Department of Posts. Both parties will jointly ensure robust monitoring, monthly reconciliation, and strict adherence to cybersecurity and data privacy standards. By combining BSNL's telecom infrastructure with India Post's nationwide presence, this partnership sets a new benchmark in public sector synergy for citizen-centric service delivery.

BSNL has recently deployed a Make-in-India, state-of-the-art 4G mobile network across the country, furthering the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Earlier this year, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had credited the strategic revival steps of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government for bringing BSNL back from the brink of failure, saying the state-run telecom giant was left on 'ventilator support' by the previous government.