AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON
                               NOVEMBER 7, 2001

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                  FORM 20-F/A

                                AMENDMENT NO. 1

                                   (Mark One)

[ ]  REGISTRATION  STATEMENT  PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES
     EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                                             OR

[X]  ANNUAL REPORT  PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE  SECURITIES  EXCHANGE
     ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001

                                             OR

[ ]  TRANSITION  REPORT  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  13 OR  15(d)  OF THE  SECURITIES
     EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from ______ to ________

Commission File Number 001-15118

                          VIDESH SANCHAR NIGAM LIMITED
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                                 NOT APPLICABLE
                (Translation of Registrant's name into English)

                             THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA
                (Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

                             VIDESH SANCHAR BHAVAN
                              MAHATMA GANDHI ROAD
                                 MUMBAI 400 001
                                     INDIA
                                +91-22 262 4020
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class                    Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
American Depositary Shares*
Equity Shares, par value Rs.10 per share    New York Stock Exchange
                                            New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
                                     NONE

             Securities for which there is a reporting obligation
                    pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:
                                     NONE

Indicate the number of outstanding  shares of each of the issuer's  classes
of capital or common  stock as of the close of the last fiscal  year  covered by
this Annual Report.

83,133,086 EQUITY SHARES.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the  preceding 12 months (or for such  shorter  period that the  registrant  was
required  to file  such  reports),  and  (2) has  been  subject  to such  filing
requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes [X]       No [ ]

Indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected
to follow.

Item 17 [ ]  Item 18 [X]

*    American Depositary Shares evidenced by American Depositary Receipts.  Each
American  Depositary Share  represents two Equity Shares.

     Not for  trading, but only in  connection  with  the  listing  of  American
Depositary Shares pursuant to the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

<PAGE>

                                     EXPLANATORY NOTE

        This Amendment No. 1 on Form 20-F/A to the registrant's Annual Report on
Form 20-F for the fiscal  year ended  March 31,  2001 (the  "Annual  Report") is
being filed to resubmit the exhibits  filed  thereto,  a certain number of which
had portions that were illegible due to formatting problems and one of which was
inadvertently  omitted due to a transmission error that occurred when the Annual
Report  was  being  filed   electronically  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission.  This  Amendment No. 1 amends and restates in its entirety "Item 19.
Exhibits" of the Annual Report.

Item 19.  Exhibits

Exhibit
Number    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.1*      Certificate of  Incorporation  of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited,  dated
          March 19, 1986 and as currently in effect.

1.2       Articles  of  Association  of  Videsh  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited,  dated
          September 26, 2000 and as currently in effect.

1.3       Memorandum  of  Association  of Videsh  Sanchar Nigam  Limited,  dated
          September 26, 2000 and as currently in effect.

1.4*      Certificate for Commencement of Business,  dated March 21, 1986 and as
          currently in effect.

1.5*      Specimen  Certificate  for  Equity  Shares  of  Videsh  Sanchar  Nigam
          Limited.

2.1*      Form of Deposit  Agreement,  among Videsh Sanchar Nigam  Limited,  The
          Bank of New York, as Depositary, and owners and  beneficial  owners of
          American  Depositary  Receipts  issued  thereunder  (including  as  an
          exhibit, the form of American Depositary Receipt).

2.2       Amendment  No. 1 to Deposit  Agreement,  among  Videsh  Sanchar  Nigam
          Limited, The  Bank  of  New  York,  as  Depositary,  and  owners   and
          beneficial owners of American Depositary  Receipts  issued  thereunder
          (including as an exhibit, the form of American Depositary Receipt).

4.1*      License  Agreement for the provision of Internet  Service  between the
          President of India and Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, dated January 25,
          1999.

4.2+      Total Accounting Rate Arrangement between Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited
          and Concert-USA

4.3+      Total Accounting Rate Arrangement between Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited
          and Concert (UK).

4.4+      Total Accounting Rate Arrangement  letter between Videsh Sanchar Nigam
          Limited and UAE.

4.5       Memorandum of  Understanding  between Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited and
          Ministry of Communications,  Department of Telecommunications  for the
          year 2001-2002.

4.6       Memorandum  of  Settlement  Over  the  Revision  of  Pay  and  Certain
          Allowances  between  Management  of Videsh  Sanchar  Nigam Limited and
          Their Workmen, dated December 2, 2000.

4.7*      Letter from the Department of  Telecommunications  with respect to the
          Revenue Sharing  Arrangement  between the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
          and Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, dated April 22, 1997.

10.1      The Hindu Business Line,  article  titled  "Teledensity  Set to Exceed
          Target", dated September 15, 2001.

10.2      ITSpace.com, article regarding analysis of VSNL, dated April 2001.

<PAGE>



Exhibit
Number    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.3*     License granted under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 to Videsh Sanchar
          Nigam   Limited,   dated  January  22,  1999, by  the   Department  of
          Telecommunications.

10.4      Letter   from  the   Ministry   of   Communications,   Department   of
          Telecommunications  regarding  termination of the monopoly  granted to
          Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, dated September 7, 2000.

10.5      Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Consultation Paper No. 2001/2 on
          International Long Distance Services, dated September 3, 2001.

-------------------------------
+Registrant has requested  confidential  treatment pursuant to Rule 24b-2 of the
Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 for a portion of the referenced exhibit and has
separately filed such exhibit with the Commission.

*Previously  filed as an exhibit  to the  Company's  Annual  Report on Form 20-F
(File  No.  000-30772)  filed  with  the  Commission  on  October  13,  2000 and
incorporated herein by reference.

<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES

        The registrant  hereby  certifies that it meets all of the  requirements
for  filing  on Form  20-F  and  that it has  duly  caused  and  authorized  the
undersigned to sign this Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on its behalf.

November 7, 2001

                                          VIDESH SANCHAR NIGAM LIMITED



                                          By: /s/ S.K. Gupta
                                              ---------------------------------
                                          Name:  S.K. Gupta
                                          Title: Chairman & Managing Director



                                          By: /s/ R.S.P. Sinha
                                              ---------------------------------
                                          Name:  R.S.P. Sinha
                                          Title: Director (Finance)