Scindia inaugurates Samriddhi Kendra in MP’s Guna to deliver phygital services in rural areas
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Sunday inaugurated a Samriddhi Kendra, an integrated Phygital (physical plus digital) service centre, at Umri village in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh under the Samriddh Gram Phygital Services Pilot Initiative of the Department of Telecommunications. The centre aims to leverage high-speed broadband connectivity created under BharatNet to deliver citizen-centric services such as healthcare, education, agriculture support, financial services and e-governance in rural areas.
Addressing the gathering, Scindia said the initiative reflects the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that digital infrastructure directly improves the quality of life in villages. He said the Samriddhi Kendra functions as a single-window rural service hub offering telemedicine consultations, diagnostics through a Health ATM, smart classrooms, skill development programmes, soil testing, agricultural advisory services, and assisted access to government schemes and banking services. Connectivity at the centre is being enabled through FTTH broadband and public Wi-Fi under the PM‑WANI framework.
Scindia said BharatNet has created one of the world’s largest rural broadband infrastructures and the next phase of India’s digital transformation will focus on ensuring meaningful utilisation of this connectivity. The Samriddh Gram initiative seeks to convert connectivity into a platform for integrated digital service delivery, helping farmers access real-time crop insights, students use modern learning tools and villagers receive faster healthcare through tele-consultations with doctors from Delhi and other states.
The centre will also provide digital documentation services, financial literacy support and access to e-commerce platforms. Agriculture services include drone-based support and modern farming technologies, while education facilities feature digital learning access and training programmes supported by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology.
The initiative is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunications in partnership with the Digital Empowerment Foundation. The centre operates on a community-driven model with trained local youth acting as Village Level Entrepreneurs, promoting rural employment and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Officials said the Samriddhi Kendra is expected to benefit residents of Umri and neighbouring villages by improving access to healthcare, education, digital services and government programmes while promoting digital and financial inclusion in rural areas.
