Samriddh Gram Wins WSIS Prize 2026 (Action Line C6)

DoT’s Samriddh Gram wins WSIS Prize 2026

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Battle Brief

The Department of Telecommunications’ Samriddh Gram project won the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize 2026 under Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment. The BharatNet-enabled model runs village Samriddhi Kendras that combine connectivity with assisted services. More than 2.17 lakh Gram Panchayats are service-ready on BharatNet.

Fact File

Award: WSIS Prize 2026, Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment
Forum: WSIS Forum 2026, Geneva; ITU-led process
Project: Samriddh Gram: Integrated Phygital Service Delivery Model Enabled by BharatNet
Ministry: Department of Telecommunications
BharatNet: more than 2.17 lakh Gram Panchayats service-ready and online
Voting: more than 2.2 million votes cast worldwide in the online phase

In the news

Samriddh Gram’s WSIS Prize: what happened?

Rural broadband alone does not deliver health, banking or skilling. Samriddh Gram puts assisted service centres on the BharatNet pipe so villagers can use digital public services with local help. The WSIS prize is an ITU-linked global nod to that design.

Samriddhi Kendras: one-stop village hubs for healthcare, education, agriculture, finance, skilling, e-governance and e-commerce.
Services cited: tele-consultation, Health ATMs, PM Jan Aushadhi, smart classrooms, IoT soil testing, drone spraying, CSC/Banking Correspondent, FTTH and PM-WANI, CCTV.
Selection path: submission, international screening, global online voting, top-five Champion Projects, WSIS Expert Committee.
Only two Indian projects were Champion Projects among eighteen WSIS 2026 award categories; Samriddh Gram then won Global Winner in C6.

Back Story

What is WSIS?

World Summit on the Information Society process led by the International Telecommunication Union.
WSIS Prizes recognise ICT projects that advance sustainable development.

Why examiners care

Why does Samriddh Gram’s WSIS Prize matter?

Digital public infrastructure: Shows BharatNet converted into service outcomes, not only fibre.
Global recognition: Places an Indian rural phygital model on the WSIS stage.

Exam Radar

What can Prelims ask on Samriddh Gram’s WSIS Prize?

Samriddh Gram (DoT) won WSIS Prize 2026, Action Line C6.
BharatNet: more than 2.17 lakh Gram Panchayats service-ready.
Samriddhi Kendras deliver phygital rural services.
Online voting phase: more than 2.2 million votes worldwide.

How to use this in Mains

GS-II Governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance

As per PIB (2026-07-09): doT's Samriddh Gram, a BharatNet-enabled phygital service delivery model, won WSIS Prize 2026 under Action Line C6.
It brings digital services to villages.

Quotable data point
DoT's Samriddh Gram, a BharatNet-enabled phygital service delivery model, won WSIS Prize 2026 under Action Line C6.
PIB: DoT: Samriddh Gram WSIS Prize, 9 Jul 2026

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPSC

Samriddh Gram won the WSIS Prize 2026 under which Action Line?

Answer (c) & explanation

PIB (Communications), 9 Jul 2026.

Quick questions

Questions students ask about this

Which WSIS Action Line did Samriddh Gram win?

Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment.

What network underpins Samriddh Gram?

BharatNet; more than 2.17 lakh Gram Panchayats are service-ready and online.

What are Samriddhi Kendras?

Village-level hubs that combine telecom connectivity with assisted delivery of health, education, finance and other services.