A new step toward rural digital empowerment has been introduced in Umri village in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh. The first integrated phygital service centre designed to provide both physical and digital services to citizens has been launched under a government initiative.
The centre was inaugurated by Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia as part of the Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot Initiative led by the Department of Telecommunications.
“With the launch of the Samriddh Gram initiative in Umri, Guna, we are bringing the world to our Umri. From education and agriculture to healthcare and government services, technology is placing new opportunities directly in the hands of our people,” Scindia said during the launch event.
The project uses connectivity provided through the BharatNet initiative, which has built one of the world’s largest rural broadband infrastructures. The newly established Samriddhi Kendra acts as a single-window rural service hub where residents can access healthcare, education, agriculture support, skill development, financial services, digital connectivity and e-governance services in one place.
According to the minister, farmers will be able to use digital tools at the centre to receive real-time information about soil moisture, nutrients and crop health. This is expected to help improve agricultural productivity.
Students in the village will also gain access to modern learning resources through digital platforms. Healthcare services will include on-site diagnostics and tele-consultations with doctors located in Delhi and other states. “Everyone in Umri will receive faster healthcare through on-site diagnostics and tele-consultation with doctors from Delhi and other states. Blood test reports will be produced in less than 30 minutes,” Scindia said.
The centre will also provide essential government services such as issuing certificates, digital documentation and access to online citizen services. Residents can also use banking facilities, digital payments, financial literacy support and assisted access to e-commerce platforms.
High-speed broadband connectivity at the centre is enabled through BharatNet-powered FTTH services along with public Wi-Fi access provided under the PM-WANI framework.
The minister said the next stage of India’s digital transformation will focus on ensuring that rural connectivity is used effectively to improve the quality of life in villages.
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