NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has won the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2026 under the Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment category for its flagship Samriddh Gram initiative, earning global recognition for promoting digital inclusion in rural India.
The award was presented during the WSIS Forum 2026 in Geneva, where the project was recognised for using BharatNet to deliver integrated digital and physical services in rural India, according to an official statement.
The Samriddh Gram initiative supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of expanding digital services to remote and rural areas. It is built on the BharatNet network and operates through Samriddhi Kendras, which function as village-level service centres.
These centres provide a range of services, including healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, skilling, e-Governance and e-commerce. The model combines telecom connectivity with assisted service delivery, making essential services more accessible in rural areas.
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia welcomed the recognition, calling it another milestone for India on the global stage. He said the award reflects the success of the Digital India vision and demonstrates how BharatNet is transforming connectivity into opportunities for rural citizens.
According to the DoT, the initiative enables services such as telemedicine, Health ATMs, smart classrooms, digital skill development, IoT-based farming solutions, Banking Correspondent services, broadband connectivity and support for local businesses under one platform.
The Department said the project highlights how telecom infrastructure can generate measurable socio-economic benefits when combined with community participation and integrated service delivery.
The recognition also underlines the impact of BharatNet, one of the world’s largest rural broadband programmes. More than 2.17 lakh Gram Panchayats have been made service-ready and online under the initiative, expanding digital access across rural India.
Samriddh Gram was selected after a multi-stage evaluation that included international screening, global public voting, and final assessment by the WSIS Expert Committee. More than 2.2 million votes were cast worldwide across all nominated projects during the voting phase.
Among the 18 categories of the WSIS Prizes 2026, only two Indian projects were chosen as Champion Projects. Samriddh Gram went on to emerge as the Global Winner in the Action Line C6 category, reflecting international recognition of India’s citizen-centric approach to rural digital transformation.
