DoT won the Global Winner title at the WSIS Prizes 2026 under the Enabling Environment category in Geneva, Switzerland

¨     Department of Telecommunications (DoT) won the Global Winner title at the WSIS Prizes 2026 under the Enabling Environment category on 9 July 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.

¨     The award was given to the Samriddh Gram Integrated Phygital Services Project.

¨     The project follows a phygital service delivery model, combining physical service centres with digital connectivity.

¨     It uses the BharatNet broadband network to deliver digital services in rural areas.

¨     Samriddh Gram is an integrated rural digital inclusion initiative developed by the Department of Telecommunications.

¨     The term "Phygital" is a combination of Physical and Digital.

¨     The initiative establishes Samriddhi Kendras as one-stop community service centres.

¨     These centres provide services such as telemedicine, education, skill development, smart agriculture, e-governance, financial inclusion, e-commerce, and public safety.

¨     BharatNet is India's national broadband network project that connects Gram Panchayats with high-speed internet.

¨     The Samriddh Gram model uses BharatNet to provide last-mile digital connectivity in rural areas.

¨     Each Samriddhi Kendra is designed to serve multiple villages within a 5-kilometre radius.

¨     Pilot projects have been established in Umri (Guna district, Madhya Pradesh), Narakoduru (Andhra Pradesh), and Chaurawala (Uttar Pradesh).

¨     The WSIS Prizes are associated with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process.

¨     The awards are administered by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

¨     The Enabling Environment category recognises projects that strengthen digital access, policy frameworks, and service delivery systems.

¨     The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations for information and communication technologies (ICTs), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.