Digital Bharat Nidhi, Maharashtra’s government, BSNL and state agencies signed a rural broadband agreement on October 1, the Communications Ministry announced that evening. Approved central support is ₹10,520 crore. MahaNet Digital Infrastructure Limited will implement the project.
Its scope covers 28,237 gram panchayats and on-demand connectivity for 15,799 villages. More than nine lakh rural home fibre connections are expected. These are rollout objectives, not connections already delivered. The announcement gives no completion deadline.
Separately, BharatNet’s official service portal explains that rural households, public institutions and businesses can request connections. Applicants select their location so the provider can check feasibility; a request from an unconnected area may help plan future expansion.
The portal says new connections under the Digital Bharat Nidhi scheme carry no installation charge, but customers pay a monthly subscription. Those service conditions do not make the Maharashtra agreement an immediate promise of working broadband at every home. Local network availability and provider confirmation remain important.