The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has extended Robert Ravi’s tenure as chairman & managing director (CMD) of state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) by three months until January 14, 2027. The government is continuing its interim leadership arrangement at the telecom operator.
The government announced the extension on October 15, following an official order dated October 14. The decision remains subject to approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
Also Read: Javed Panjwani Joins Cognizant as VP of AI Strategy and Growth
Extension of Robert Ravi’s BSNL Tenure
Ravi, a 1988-batch Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer, was first given additional charge as chairman of BSNL and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) on July 13, 2024. At the time, he was serving as deputy director general for standards, research and innovation at the DoT.
In October 2025, the ACC extended his additional charge for six months. The ACC subsequently approved another six-month extension, effective from April 15, 2026.
The latest three-month extension keeps Ravi in the role until January 14, 2027, as an interim measure.
Also Read: Donald Trump Names Jay Clayton as White House AI Czar
BSNL Turnaround: 4G Rollout and Revenue Growth
The extension comes as BSNL reports improvements in revenue and operating performance under its turnaround strategy.
The state-run operator has deployed an indigenously developed next-generation 4G network at one lakh new sites. A consortium led by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) supplied the network.
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said earlier this year that BSNL’s revenue from operations provisionally increased by around 10% in the first quarter of financial year 2026-27.
Revenue rose to ₹4,418 crore from ₹4,017 crore in the corresponding quarter a year earlier, an increase of ₹401 crore.
Scindia said BSNL’s enterprise business and consumer mobility segments had grown, while its consumer fixed access business remained almost flat. The company’s average revenue per user (ARPU), the average revenue earned from each subscriber, provisionally rose from ₹100 to ₹102.70.
Also Read: Why HDFC, SBI and ICICI Have Not Joined Apple Pay Yet
BSNL Financial Performance and Subscriber Base
BSNL reported net profits of ₹262 crore in the third quarter of FY25 and ₹280 crore in the fourth quarter, marking its first consecutive quarterly profits in nearly two decades.
Its operating profit, measured by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), exceeded ₹5,100 crore in FY25. Revenue grew 13% to ₹17,705 crore in the first three quarters of FY26.
The company’s wireless subscriber base stood at 9.36 crore in August 2026, according to industry data compiled by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Samarjit Kaur is a journalist and communications professional covering technology & emerging digital trends. With a focus on clarity and context, she reports on developments shaping industries and governance. When not reporting, she chooses to plug-in and relax on her playlists and plan her next bucket-list trips!
