Tejas Secures ₹7,492 Crore Contract from BSNL for Nationwide 4G/5G Network Expansion

Tejas Networks, a leading indigenous telecom equipment manufacturer, has clinched a substantial ₹7,492 crore (approximately $900 million) contract for the deployment of its cutting-edge 4G/5G Radio Access Network (RAN) technology across Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)'s extensive network, spanning a remarkable 100,000 sites throughout India. In a regulatory disclosure made on Wednesday, Tejas announced the formalization of a comprehensive master contract that encompasses equipment supply, comprehensive support, and annual maintenance services for BSNL's ambitious nationwide 4G/5G network expansion project. This strategic collaboration involves the active involvement of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

Elaborating on the specifics of this groundbreaking partnership, Tejas Networks expressed, "Under the purview of this agreement, the company has received a substantial purchase order from TCS, amounting to ₹7,492 crore (approximately $900 million), to facilitate the deployment of our state-of-the-art 4G/5G RAN technology across an estimated 100,000 sites." This pioneering initiative is slated for execution over the course of the upcoming calendar years, 2023 and 2024.

Notably, back in May, BSNL had taken a significant stride by placing an advance purchase order (APO) valued at over ₹15,000 crore with TCS and the government-run ITI for the establishment of an impressive 100,000 4G sites nationwide. As part of this collaboration, ITI is assigned the deployment responsibility for 20% of the total sites.

Tejas Networks attributed its triumphant bid to being a key part of a consortium spearheaded by TCS, after having "successfully completed extensive trial runs."

Anand Athreya, the Managing Director of Tejas Networks, emphasized the transformative impact of their cutting-edge technology: "Our innovative portfolio encompassing baseband and radio products is poised to empower BSNL in rolling out an easily scalable and cost-efficient network that meets the highest global standards in performance and quality."

Market dynamics were evidently favorable to Tejas Networks, as the company's shares surged by 3.40%, culminating at ₹842.80 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Wednesday. This upward trend stood in contrast to the broader market, with the benchmark Sensex registering a modest 0.21% increase on the same trading day.