Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited or BSNL, is more than a publicly owned telecommunication network company. For better or for worse, the Indian government-owned company has become a part of the social fabric of the country over decades of its existence.
New Era, New Look
In the age of private telecom giants like Airtel and Jio, BSNL may not have the same standing or appeal amongst common users, but is still very much a part of the industry.
The government has expressed its intentions to make BSNL and MTNL competitive in this market, which from the market being cut throat has turned into an oligopolistic paradigm.
In what is being seen as a symbolic step towards it, the government ushered into a new era with a new appearance and new branding and identity.
Netizens React
Netizens have poured in with their reactions. Some of them were positive, some of them critical of the move and others were funny.
Many X users pointed out at the most significant of all changes in the branding and logo. One of them was the colour of the logo, which has gone from grey to saffron/orange.
In addition, the slogan and branding changed to 'Connecting Bharat' from the previous 'Connecting India', marking a shift in accordance with the larger socio-political narrative and messaging of the incumbent government.
As we sample some of the remarks on X, one of the users said, "The company keep refreshing everything, but the signal and the services"
Saffronising The Logo
Another user focused on the apparent politicisation of the company and said, The new Logo of BSNL in it’s reviving journey! Saffronising the BSNL will definitely lead to RR."
Another user, possibly from the other end of the spectrum, said, "BSNL just changed its logo, and it’s now saffron! This new look is sure to give some people a serious heartburn. Get ready for the meltdowns!"
Another user added, "BSNL Unveils New Logo with seven new services. By the way, The Color of the logo is tremendous."
