Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has achieved a major financial milestone by reporting a net profit of ₹262 crore for the October-December quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25 (Q3FY25). This marks the first time in 17 years that the state-owned telecom company has returned to profitability. The last time BSNL reported a quarterly profit was in 2007.
The announcement was made on Friday, February 14, along with the company’s earnings report. Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia called this a “significant turning point” for BSNL, highlighting its improved service offerings and growing subscriber base.
BSNL registers a quarterly profit of close to Rs 262 crores for the FIRST TIME in 17 years. pic.twitter.com/szN8NqmBpE
— DoT India (@DoT_India) February 14, 2025
Strong Growth in Revenue and Subscribers
BSNL has shown remarkable progress in different segments of its business. The company recorded:
- 15% growth in mobility services revenue
- 18% increase in Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) revenue
- 14% rise in leased line services revenue
The company’s subscriber base also witnessed an upward trend, rising from 8.4 crore in June 2024 to 9 crore in December 2024.
Cost Reduction and Financial Improvement
One of the key factors behind BSNL’s improved financial performance is its cost-cutting measures. The company has reduced its finance costs and overall expenditure, leading to a decline in losses by over ₹1,800 crore compared to last year.
Scindia emphasized that BSNL’s focus on innovation, network expansion, cost optimization, and customer-centric services has played a crucial role in this turnaround. The company has introduced several new services to enhance customer experience, including:
- National WiFi Roaming
- BiTV – Free Entertainment for All Mobile Customers
- IFTV for All FTTH Customers
- First private 5G connectivity for mining
Future Plans: Expanding 4G Services Across India
BSNL is now focused on rolling out 4G services across the country. Out of the targeted 1,00,000 telecom towers, the company has already installed 75,000 towers and commissioned about 60,000. The government aims to complete the deployment of all 1,00,000 towers by June 2025.
In the last four years, BSNL’s EBITDA has doubled from ₹1,100 crore to ₹2,100 crore, reflecting the company’s steady growth. Minister Scindia expressed confidence that BSNL will not only increase revenues by the end of the financial year but will also continue to control costs and further reduce losses.
