How to Become an App

Provider

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Introduction to PM-WANI
Broadband is no more a buzzword of technical meetings and
forums, it has become a necessity of every individual aspiring to
connect with the fast evolving information world. Governments around
the world have recognized the importance of its far-reaching impact on
social and economic development of people and public broadband
networks are being set up in every part of the globe now-a-days.
As per the latest statistics, the internet broadband density in the
rural areas stands at 38 per 100 users. For the development of the
rural areas, it is essential that for improving literacy and economic
growth, this gap should be bridged.
In-line with this, Govt. of India had launched the PM-WANI Scheme
in December 9th, 2020 to take forward the goal of National Digital
Communications Policy, 2018 (NDCP) of creating a robust digital
communications infrastructure.
PM-WANI unbundles the ecosystem of Wi-Fi operations and
deployment and enables multiple players to be a part of the ecosystem
for offering affordable broadband. The end user can buy coupons of
smaller denominations ranging from Rs.2 to Rs.20 for broadband
access.
The PM-WANI framework envisages provision of Broadband
through Public Wi-Fi Hotspot providers and will consist of the following
elements:
Public Data Office (PDO)
PDO will establish, maintain, and operate PM-WANI compliant Wi-Fi
Access Points and provide last-mile connectivity to deliver Broadband
services to subscribers. PDO need not pay any license fee or
perform any kind of registration.
The PDO needs to arrange PM-WANI compliant access point, power
source(230V) for powering up the access point and internet bandwidth
from ISP/TSP’s such as BSNL, MTNL, RJio, Vodafone or Bharat
Broadband Nigam Limited.
Any tea-shop or kirana shop owner who has a customer base and
has space for installation of access point can become a PDO.
Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA)
PDOA provides aggregation services such as authorization and
accounting to PDOs, thereby facilitating PDOs in providing services to
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the end consumer. PDOA need not pay any license fees. PDOA
needs to perform a simple online registration process at Saral Sanchar
Portal (https://saralsanchar.gov.in/), followed by signing up at Central
Registry(https://pmwani.gov.in).Any retailer having multiple shops
can become a PDOA by converting the shops as PDO’s.
App Provider
App Provider, who will develop an application to register users and
‘discover’ and display PM-WANI compliant Wi-Fi hotspots in the
proximity for accessing the internet service and also authenticate the
potential Broadband users. Startups and wallet providers can become
App Providers.
App Provider need not pay any license fees. App Provider has to
perform a simple online registration process at Saral Sanchar Portal
(https://saralsanchar.gov.in/), followed by signing up at Central
Registry (https://pmwani.cdot.in).
Central Registry
Central Registry will maintain the details of App Providers, PDOAs,
and PDOs. To begin with, the Central Registry will be maintained by
the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT). Central Registry is
responsible for the certification of PDOA and App Provider software.

PDO-1
PM-WANI
Wi-Fi
ISP-1 Central
Access
point Gateway Registry

PDO-2
PDO
PDOA
Wi-Fi ISP-2
Internet Network
Access Gateway
point

PDO-3
App
App
Wi-Fi
Access ISP-n Provider
Point Gateway Network

Figure 1: PM-WANI Network Elements

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APP Provider Onboarding Process
To become an APP Provider firstly APP Provider needs to register at
Saral Sanchar portal(https://saralsanchar.gov.in). After successful
registration at Saral Sanchar, the APP Provider needs to sign-up with
the Central Registry(https://pmwani.gov.in). After signing up with the
Central Registry, they need to deploy the APP Provider software on the
cloud infrastructure. While deploying the software on the cloud
infrastructure, the APP Provider needs to arrange the cloud
infrastructure, SSL certificate and payment gateway account for
collecting the revenue.
After the APP Provider software deployment, the APP Provider
applies for provisional certification at the Central Registry. After the
provisional certification is provided by the Central Registry, then the
APP Provider has to add the security certificate and Authentication URL
in the Central Registry. After the configuration at the Central Registry,
the APP Provider will be ready to offer the services as per the PM-
WANI framework. Meanwhile, the APP Provider will also have to visit
C-DOT for software certification. The Central Registry certification lab
in-charge will communicate with the APP Provider regarding the pre-
requisites and time-slot assigned for certification.
APP Provider onboarding process is explained in detail now.
How does the APP Provider register at Saral Sanchar?
APP Provider has to follow the following process:
1. Visit Saral Sanchar Portal(https://saralsanchar.gov.in/).
2. Enter basic details of organization along with the CIN number.
Corporate Identification Number (CIN) is a unique identification
number that is assigned by the Registrar of Companies (ROC) to
the companies registered in India.

In how many days is the registration granted and what is the scope of
operation?
Within 7 days of application in Saral Sanchar the firm/company will
get registration for APP Provider with registration number (e.g.,
PMWANI-MUM-16122020-APP000011). The APP Providers need to
use this registration number to sign-up in the Central Registry.
Once successfully registered, the APP Providers will have
permission for PAN India operations.

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How does the APP Provider sign up at the Central Registry?
All the prospective APP Providers need to sign up at Central
Registry portal(https://pmwani.gov.in). For the signing-up the
registration number allotted to APP Provider’s by the Saral Sanchar
Portal will have to be used.

First-time Signup require:

 Registration Number (assigned through Saral Sanchar
Registration)
 Registered email address
 Registered Mobile Number
Email and mobile number given during the registration at Saral
Sanchar Portal for user verification through OTP
After the verification of OTP the signing-up at central registry
completed and will prompt for creation of password for login to Central
Registry portal for respective APP Provider.
After signing-up at the Central Registry, what should the APP Provider
do?
APP Provider now needs to arrange and deploy the APP Provider
software which provides the function to perform KYC of the user,
discovery of PM-WANI access points and user-friendly interface for the
user to access broadband services as per PM-WANI framework and
test it with a PM-WANI compatible Access point.
Who can provide me the PM-WANI Compatible APP Software?
App Provider can develop or procure any PM-WANI certified App
software. C-DOT can provide the PM-WANI compatible APP software.
After deployment of APP software, what does the APP Provider need to
do?
APP Provider needs to apply for provisional certification of the APP
software.
After verification APP Providerwill be Provisionally Certified for next
course of action.

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What is the next course of action for the APP Provider after provisional
certification?
After provisional certification by Central Registry, APP Provider
need to upload at least one Public Security Certificate obtained from
any Certificate Authority.
From where can the APP Provider arrange the security certificate?
Security Certificate needs to be arranged from Licensed CAs in
India. The details are available athttp://cca.gov.in/licensed_ca.html
What are the things to be taken care of when buying a Security
certificate?
The Security Certificate should comply with the following:
 Certificate should be of type .cer
 Content should be in the format of X509
 Expiry date must be greater than the present date

What is the next step after addition of security certificate in CR for the
APP Provider?
After the successful uploading of valid Security Certificate, APP
Provider will get the interface for Authentication URL addition.
How is the App Provider certified by the PM-WANI CR?
After Provisional certification, the APP Provider need to formally
certified the APP atcertification.C-DOT will send a mail to the
provisionally certified App Provider for offering the APP for final
certification. The pre-requisites for certification will beTestSchedule
and Test Procedure (TSTP)which will be shared with the App Provider.
The App Provider need to offer the APK file for final certification.
What is the security compliance that needs to be followed by the APP
Provider?
Following security conditions are defined in the framework and the
same need to be complied by APP Providers:
a) The user data privacy will be ensured by APP Providers. Complete
user data and usage logs will be stored within India.
b) Subject to terms and conditions of the Registration, the APP
Provider will take all necessary steps to safeguard the privacy and
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 confidentiality of any information about a third party to whom they
provide the service.
What is the Business Model of App Provider
App Provider’s main investment will be creation of backend system
for KYC based authentication, OTP based verification through some
SMS gateway, WANI token handling module and log storage for LI
compliance. The App can be developed by an entrepreneur or a white
label App cab be taken from market and customized with own logo etc.
There are providers who offer “software solution deployment” as
service as Platform as a Service (PaaS) providers. To run the backend
either own server and bandwidth can be installed or again taken from
a cloud provider. In case of cloud operations, the software solution will
be hosted on some cloud service provider’s system on rental basis.
Overall, APP Provider needs to arrange the following infrastructure:
 Own infrastructure to host solution or Cloud Infrastructure
 SMS Gateway Account (and Bulk SMS Pack)
 Domain Name
 SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate

A typical cost for a cloud operation model is provided as below.

Typical Cost (in Rs.) for APP Provider

** Cost of
Investment Capital Total per
Item Cost per
12% per annum
annum
annum

Cloud Cost inclusive of 100000 12000 112000

Hardware/OS/Bandwidth/storage
(Recurring cost as service)

APP Software Stack (Recurring 30000 3600 33600

cost as Service)

SMS Gateway with SMS Pack and 10000 1200 11200

SSL Certificate (Recurring cost)
and Domain Name

Miscellaneous and unforeseen 60000 7200 67200

cost

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 Total CostofAPP is deployed on a cloud model 224000

Breakeven cost per month for App Provider =224000/12

18666

*Opportunity cost of entrepreneur’s skill and time is not included.

** Cost of capitalisrate of interest on the capital employed/invested in the business
by the entrepreneur.

Disclaimer: These costs are indicative and may vary based on market dynamics.
Entrepreneurs are requested to use this only as a guidance and C-DOT does not take
any responsibility in this regard.

What will be theearning of APP Provider?

App Provider’s earning is only by offering Advertisement and Location
based services after collaborating with the advertisers, local
agencies/shops etc.APP Provider can also earn additional revenue by
offering various solutionson the APP platform- for example analytics
and survey for various agencies. Revenue generation can be achieved
based on various innovative ideas an entrepreneur can implement in
the App.
Based on the typical costs above, the entrepreneur will have to
generate a revenue of Rs 18,667 per month to cover all the costs,
including 12% return on capital employed in the business by the
entrepreneur, from services like advertisement etc. provided to users
on the Appto achieve break even for the business.

Other Booklets of PM-WANI

 PDO Booklethttps://pmwani.gov.in/assets/landing-
page/booklets/Booklet_PDO_English.pdf

 PDOA Booklethttps://pmwani.gov.in/assets/landing-
page/booklets/Booklet_PDOA_English.pdf

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 Annex I: List of DOT Field Officers
STATE/UT Authorized Design Email Id Telephone
person ation No.
Name
Andaman Sh. Rakesh DDG [email protected] 033-24402027
and Kumar (Tech.)
Nicobar Sharma
Islands
Andhra Sh. G V DDG [email protected] 0866-2496499
Pradesh Rama (Tech.)
Krishna
Arunanchal Sh. Rajesh DDG [email protected] 9422217211
Pradesh Kumar (Tech.)
Maheshwari
Assam Sh. G K DDG [email protected] 361-2736999
Sutar (Tech.)
Bihar Sh. A.K. DDG [email protected] 612-2506139
Sinha (Tech.)
Chattisgarh Sh. R.K. DDG [email protected] 755-2555854
Singh (Tech.)
Dadra and DDG [email protected] 9414001115
Nagar (Tech.)
Sh. Roshan
Haveli and
Lal Meena
Daman and
Diu
Delhi Sh. Y.K. DDG [email protected] 011-26484080
(Gurgaon, Singh (Tech.)
Ghaziabad,
Noida,
Faridabad)
Goa Sh. Vikram DDG [email protected] 9425001499
Malviya (Tech.)
Gujarat Sh. Roshan DDG [email protected] 9414001115
Lal Meena (Tech.)
Haryana Sh. O.P. DDG [email protected] 1722538060
Manhas (Tech.)
Himachal Sh. Brij DDG [email protected] 0177-2625065
Pradesh Mohan Setia (Tech.)
Jammu & Sh. Kailash DDG [email protected] 191-2470133
Kashmir Chandra (Tech.)
Panday
Jharkhand Sh. A.K. DDG [email protected] 612-2506139
Sinha (Tech.)
Karnataka Smt. Sunita DDG [email protected] 080-26642626
Cherodath (Tech.)
Kerala Smt. DDG [email protected]
484-2207255
Sobhana V (Tech.)
Lakshadwe Smt. DDG [email protected]
484-2207255
ep Sobhana V (Tech.)
Ladakh Sh. Kailash DDG [email protected] 191-2470133
Chandra (Tech.)
10
 Panday

Madhya Sh. R.K. DDG [email protected] 755-2555854

Pradesh Singh (Tech.)
Maharashtr Sh. Vikram DDG [email protected] 9425001499
a Malviya (Tech.)
Mumbai Sh. Ajay DDG [email protected] 022-28573530
Kamal (Tech.)
Manipur Sh. Rajesh DDG [email protected] 9422217211
Kumar (Tech.)
Maheshwari
Meghalaya Sh. Rajesh DDG [email protected] 9422217211
Kumar (Tech.)
Maheshwari
Mizoram Sh. Rajesh DDG [email protected] 9422217211
Kumar (Tech.)
Maheshwari
Nagaland Sh. Rajesh DDG [email protected] 9422217211
Kumar (Tech.)
Maheshwari
Odisha Sh. U.V. DDG [email protected] 9972279970
Ramana (Tech.)
Puducherry Sh. Shri S. DDG [email protected] 044-28251118
Sudhakar (Tech.)
Punjab Smt. Rekha DDG [email protected]
172-2218094
Singh (Tech.)
Rajasthan Sh. Ram DDG [email protected] 0141-2712620
Gopal Yadav (Tech.)
Sikkim Sh. Rakesh DDG [email protected] 033-24402027
Kumar (Tech.)
Sharma
Tamil Nadu Sh. Shri S. DDG [email protected] 044-28251118
Sudhakar (Tech.)

Telangana Sh. K. Raja DDG [email protected] 040-27722713

Sekhar (Tech.)

Tripura Sh. Rajesh DDG [email protected] 9422217211

Kumar (Tech.)
Maheshwari
Uttrakhand Sh. DDG ddgc.ddnupw-dgt- 135-2735577
Arunkumar (Tech.) [email protected]
Verma
Uttar Sh. Anil DDG [email protected] 0522-2725501
Pradesh Kumar (Tech.)
(East) Ranjan
Uttar Sh. Anupam DDG [email protected] 9868130902
Pradesh Varshney (Tech.)
(West)
West Sh. Rakesh DDG [email protected] 033-24402027
Bengal Kumar (Tech.)
Sharma
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