The Department of Telecommunications (DoT)‘s flagship rural digital transformation initiative, Samriddh Gram: Integrated Phygital Service Delivery Model Enabled by BharatNet, has won the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2026 under Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment.
The award was presented at the WSIS Forum 2026 in Geneva, recognising India’s innovative model of leveraging digital public infrastructure (DPI) and BharatNet connectivity to deliver integrated services in rural areas.
The WSIS Prizes, instituted under the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), recognise projects that use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to promote sustainable development.
Samriddh Gram is an integrated rural digital transformation initiative built on the BharatNet broadband network to improve access to essential public and private services in villages.
The initiative is centred around Samriddhi Kendras, which serve as one-stop village-level centres providing both digital and assisted physical (phygital) services.
The centres offer a wide range of citizen-centric services, including healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, skill development, e-governance, and e-commerce.
Out of the 18 award categories under the WSIS Prizes 2026, only two projects from India were selected as Champion Projects, with Samriddh Gram emerging as the Global Winner in Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment.
The recognition highlights India’s growing leadership in leveraging digital connectivity and public digital infrastructure to bridge the rural-urban digital divide and promote inclusive development.
Source: DD
CLICK HERE: UPSC PRELIMS & MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BASED WEEKLY TEST (ENG & HINDI)
CLICK HERE FOR GS TIMES PRAHAR UPSC GS MAINS TEST SERIES
CLICK HERE: DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ (FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS)
![](https://www.gstimes.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/WEEKLY-TEST-RECT.jpg")
