New Delhi, Oct 29: Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCoE) on Wednesday signed agreements with leading implementation partners – Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in Ari & Umri in Madhya Pradesh, I-Novate Infotech Private Limited in Chaurawala, Uttar Pradesh and Corpus Enterprises Private Limited in Narakoduru, Andhra Pradesh – to roll out the Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot.
The programme aimed at transforming rural India through a seamless integration of physical and digital services, leveraging BharatNet Infrastructure.
The Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot is envisaged as a pioneering phygital (physical + digital) Services model integrating on-ground presence with robust digital infrastructure to empower rural citizens.
The initiative leverages BharatNet connectivity to deliver essential services seamlessly and sustainably, ensuring that every rural citizen benefits from digital transformation in daily life, the government said.
DoT has identified three villages in which the pilot will be carried out. The identified villages are Ari & Umri in Madhya Pradesh, Narakoduru in Andhra Pradesh, and Chaurawala in Uttar Pradesh.
Each village will host a Samriddhi Kendra, which will serve as an integrated digital service hub.
The Samriddhi Kendras will deliver a comprehensive suite of services in sectors such as education and skilling through smart classrooms, AR/VR-based learning, and digital skilling aligned with government schemes.
For the Agriculture sector, the scheme can provide the Internet of Things (IoT)-based soil testing, drone support, and smart irrigation systems. Similarly, for Healthcare, it can facilitate teleconsultations, health ATMs, and emergency care.
Additionally, it can deliver significant services in sectors such as e-Governance, E-Commerce, financial inclusion, and digital banking and payments.
The agreements were formally signed by Rajesh Sharma, Director and CEO, TCoE India and the implementation partners in the presence of Secretary (Telecom), Dr Neeraj Mittal and Atul Sinha, Head (Business Transformation Unit).
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary (Telecom) emphasised the significance of the initiative and urged the Implementation Partners to ensure that the pilot is executed with excellence and designed for long-term sustainability, so that it emerges as a replicable and scalable model for nationwide rollout—enabling every rural citizen to truly benefit from this transformative endeavour.
This collaborative effort underscores the commitment of DoT, TCoE and its partners to bridge the digital divide and empower rural communities with access to citizen-centric services and opportunities, making Digital India a reality at the grassroots level.
–IANS