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Just ahead of its mega <keyword id="20008249" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FPO" source="keywords">FPO</keyword> opening to <keyword id="21332860" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-investors" source="keywords">public investors</keyword>, <keyword id="19899016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="keywords">Vodafone Idea</keyword> (<keyword id="20062540" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vil" source="keywords">VIL</keyword>) has announced closure of its anchor book allocation, raising about Rs 5,400 crore from marquee global as well as domestic investors, according to a statutory filing by the <keyword id="20132985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telco" source="keywords">telco</keyword>. This could be the third-largest anchor book after One 97 Communications and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). One 97 Communications and LIC had raised Rs 8,235 crore and Rs 5,627 crore in the anchor round, respectively. In a notification to the exchanges on Wednesday, VIL said it has allotted 490.9 crore shares to 74 funds at Rs 11 apiece, which is also the upper end of the price band. This translated into a transaction size to Rs 5,400 crore. Of the total allocation to <keyword id="21330641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anchor-investors" source="keywords">anchor investors</keyword>, 79.52 crore stocks, or 16.2 per cent of the total, were allocated to five domestic mutual fund through a total of 11 schemes. Those who were allotted shares include GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, Fidelity, UBS Fund Management, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Australian Super, Troo Capital, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Global Markets Mauritius, and Jupiter Fund Management. Additionally, domestic investors, including Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund, HDFC Mutual Fund, SBI General Insurance and Quant Mutual Fund, were allocated shares in the anchor round. The Rs 18,000-crore FPO of Vodafone Idea will open for public subscription on April 18 and conclude on April 22, marking the biggest FPO in the country. The price band has been set at Rs 10-11 per share. Prior to this, the largest FPO in the Indian market was a Rs 15,000 crore share-sale by YES Bank in 2020. The fundraise would give the ailing telco the firepower to improve its positioning in the Indian telecom market, where it currently trails larger rivals such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, by a wide margin. The funds will also help VIL shore up finances for the much-delayed <keyword id="20366727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="5G-rollout" source="keywords">5G rollout</keyword> and strengthening 4G services, and payment of vendor dues. On April 6, the VIL Board approved raising Rs 2,075 crore from promoter Aditya Birla Group and increasing its authorised share capital to Rs 1 lakh crore. Earlier this year, Vodafone Idea had outlined plans to raise Rs 45,000 crore through a mix of equity and debt as it looked to match services offered by rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel and arrest an alarming and prolonged subscriber churn. VIL has also been fighting a desperate battle for survival, saddled with debt of Rs 2.1 lakh crore and quarterly losses. According to Trai data, Vodafone Idea continued to bleed on the subscriber front. VIL lost 15.2 lakh wireless subscribers, plunging its mobile subscriber base to 22.15 crore in January, in sharp contrast to subscriber gains by Jio and Airtel.

Ahead of FPO, Vodafone Idea garners Rs 5,400 cr from anchor investors

<ul><li>The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has returned over ₹22,000 crore worth bank guarantees to <keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> and <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword>.</li><li>This comes as a relief especially to Vodafone Idea, which had given INR 15,000 crore worth guarantees, more than twice that of Airtel.</li><li>The company had requested the DoT to return its bank guarantees after accepting the AGR and spectrum dues moratorium.</li></ul>In a major relief to Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has revealed that it has released the bank guarantees that were held by it. According to a report by the <a href="https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/govt-submits-agr-affidavit-in-sc-says-refunded-bgs-to-vodafone-idea-airtel/90725727">Economic Times</a>, the DoT has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court informing it that it has returned the bank guarantees to Vodafone Idea and Airtel. Last month, Vodafone Idea had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-reportedly-wants-the-government-to-release-15000-crore-bank-guarantees/articleshow/89937099.cms">requested</a> the DoT to release its bank guarantees as the board of directors of the telco were set to meet to discuss fundraising plans. Vodafone Idea had argued that as the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and spectrum dues have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/telecom-relief-package-airtel-vodafone-idea-get-four-year-moratorium-on-agr-dues/articleshow/86227218.cms">deferred</a> by four years, and the government has the option to convert this into equity, there is no need to hold up the bank guarantees for the same dues. The DoT has now confirmed that it has released bank guarantees worth ₹15,000 crore to Vodafone Idea and ₹7,000 crore to Airtel. The telcos have reportedly been asked to re-furnish bank guarantees of an amount equal to their next installment 13 months before the due date. “Pursuant to the Cabinet decision and in view of the fact that VIL and BAL had opted for such moratorium on spectrum auction installments and no installment is due necessitating security in the form of financial bank guarantees till 13 months before the next payable installment post moratorium period, DoT has returned the existing bank guarantees,” the DoT said in its affidavit, according to the report. The telecom department has added that the government will help ensure funds for the “telcos to reinvest in capex heavy telecom networks and lead to growth in the sector and eventually to employment.” The return of these bank guarantees will add to the lending bank’s capital pool, helping the cash-strapped telco raise more funds as it looks to improve its network capacity and infrastructure. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-lost-over-9-million-subscribers-in-january-but-that-is-a-good-thing/articleshow/90557442.cms">Reliance Jio lost over 9 million subscribers in January, but that is a good thing – here’s why</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/edge-data-centers-draw-major-investments-as-india-moves-closer-to-5g-rollout/articleshow/90660797.cms">Edge Data Centres draw major investments as India moves closer to 5G rollout</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/indians-are-now-consuming-over-12000-petabytes-of-4g-data-every-month/slidelist/90221728.cms">Indians are now consuming over 12,000 petabytes of 4G data every month</a>

Vodafone Idea, Airtel get a breather as government returns ₹22,000 crore worth of bank guarantees

<ul><li>Vodafone Idea has reportedly reached out to the Department of Telecom to release bank guarantees worth ₹15,000 crore.</li><li>The bank guarantees were given to the government with respect to the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and spectrum dues worth ₹50,339 crore.</li><li>With the telco opting for the four-year deferment of AGR dues, it now believes there’s no need for the DoT to hold on to those bank guarantees.</li><li>This is crucial for the telco as its board meets on March 3 to discuss fundraising options.</li></ul>Vodafone Idea has reportedly asked the Department of Telecom to release ₹15,000 crore in bank guarantees as the telco’s board of directors meets on March 3 to discuss fundraising plans. According to a report by <a href="https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/vodafone-idea-urges-dot-to-release-rs-15000-crore-bank-guarantees/89935218">ET Telecom</a>, Vodafone Idea’s argument is now that the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and spectrum dues <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/telecom-relief-package-airtel-vodafone-idea-get-four-year-moratorium-on-agr-dues/articleshow/86227218.cms">have been deferred</a> by four years, and the government has the option to convert this into equity, there is no need to hold up the bank guarantees for the same dues. Shares of Vodafone Idea were up by 2% as of 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday. <div type="image" title="Vodafone Idea 01_01_22 to 02_03_22." msid="89937111" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Vodafone Idea&amp;#39;s share performance in 2022 so far&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> At the moment, the Department of Telecom reportedly holds ₹15,000 crore in bank guarantees, against Vodafone Idea’s AGR and spectrum dues worth ₹50,339 crore. “Vodafone [Idea] has expressed the need to release bank guarantees since the AGR dues themselves have been deferred by four years,” the ET report said, quoting an unnamed government official. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Apart from this, the telco also wants the government to freeze the date of calculation of AGR dues on the date of the Supreme Court’s judgement in the matter. Business Insider has written to Vodafone Idea for a statement in this regard. We will update the story if and when we receive a response. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Why is this important for Vodafone Idea?" comment="subhead" text="Why is this important for Vodafone Idea?">Why is this important for Vodafone Idea?</cmsannotation> The request to release ₹15,000 crore bank guarantees will free up some pressure on Vodafone Idea’s balance sheet, which is racing to get the crucial fundraising from its potential investors. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-could-finally-get-the-much-needed-capital-infusion-from-its-british-parent-vodafone-group-plc/articleshow/89774140.cms">Earlier reports</a> had suggested that the company’s British parent – Vodafone Group Plc., – is paring its stake in Indus Towers, to infuse funds in Vodafone Idea. While Vodafone has sold 7.1% stake in the tower company, there have been no other developments with regards to it infusing funds in Vodafone Idea, so far. Now, Vodafone Idea’s board of directors is scheduled to meet tomorrow, March 3, to discuss fundraising options on the table. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/telecom-relief-package-airtel-vodafone-idea-get-four-year-moratorium-on-agr-dues/articleshow/86227218.cms">Indian government dials M for moratorium – Airtel, Vodafone Idea get a four-year relief on AGR dues</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-could-finally-get-the-much-needed-capital-infusion-from-its-british-parent-vodafone-group-plc/articleshow/89774140.cms">Vodafone Idea’s British parent could infuse capital in the telco after refusing to do so for several months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/mukesh-ambani-and-sunil-mittal-are-fast-catching-up-while-elon-musk-struggles-for-satellite-broadband-licence/articleshow/89561185.cms">India’s richest billionaires are fast catching up while Elon Musk struggles for satellite broadband licence</a>

Vodafone Idea reportedly wants the government to release ₹15,000 crore bank guarantees ahead of its fundraising plan

The market capitalisation of the <keyword id="6653" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="icici-bank" source="Orion">ICICI Bank</keyword> touched Rs 6 lakh crore mark in the afternoon trade due to which shares of the bank hit record high of Rs 865.55. The stock has surpassed its previous high of Rs 859.70, which had hit on October 25, 2021. At 2.48 p.m., shares of the bank were trading at Rs 860.25, up 11.50 or 1.35 per cent from its previous close. In the last one month, the stock of private lender has gained more than 12 per cent. Before ICICI Bank hitting Rs 6 lakh crore market-cap mark, <keyword id="6355199" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reliance-industries" source="Orion">Reliance Industries</keyword>, <keyword id="6357585" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata-consultancy-services" source="Orion">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword>, <keyword id="6357149" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="hdfc-bank" source="Orion">HDFC Bank</keyword>, <keyword id="6354512" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="infosys" source="Orion">Infosys</keyword> and <keyword id="6365619" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="hindustan-unilever" source="Orion">Hindustan Unilever</keyword> have also hit this mark. In the first quarter of the current financial year, the private lender had reported a 49.5 per cent on-year rise in its net profit to Rs 6,905 crore on the back of healthy loan growth. The bank's net interest income rose 20.1 per cent on-year to Rs 13,210 crore. Net interest margin (<keyword id="173910" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nim" source="Orion">NIM</keyword>) was 4.01 per cent during the quarter under review, higher than 3.89 per cent the same time a year ago but largely flat from 4 per cent a quarter ago. Overall margin increased by 14 basis points on-year and 11 basis points on-quarter. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-airtel-could-emerge-stronger-weaking-vodafone-idea-further-say-analysts/articleshow/93499353.cms">Jio, Airtel could emerge stronger weakening Vodafone Idea further, say analysts</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/foreign-investors-pour-over-rs-12000-cr-in-indian-equity-in-last-10-days/articleshow/93499046.cms">Foreign investors pour over Rs 12,000 cr in Indian equity in last 10 days</a>

ICICI Bank market-cap hits ₹6 lakh crore as its stock rises to a record high

India's largest telecom operator <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> added 30.5 lakh mobile subscribers in March, accelerating its momentum of February, while <keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> lost 12.12 lakh wireless users during the month, according to data released by telecom regulator <keyword id="6356988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI" source="Orion">TRAI</keyword>. Sunil Mittal-led telecom company <keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword> onboarded 10.37 lakh mobile subscribers in March, raising its subscriber base to 37.09 crores in March against 36.98 crores in February. Reliance Jio added 30.5 lakh subscribers in March, as its subscriber count exceeded 43 crore, compared to 42.71 crore in February. It is pertinent to mention that in February too, Reliance Jio had added the maximum number of mobile subscribers (at about 10 lakh) among telcos, while <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> had gained 9.82 lakh mobile users during February. A look at March data released by TRAI showed that Vodafone Idea -- which trails Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel in the mobile market subscriber tally -- lost 12.12 lakh mobile users in March. Vodafone Idea's mobile subscriber base shrunk to 23.67 crore in March, from 23.79 crore in the previous month. Overall, the broadband subscribers' tally rose by 0.86 per cent month-on-month. "... the total broadband subscribers increased from 839.33 million at the end of February-23 to 846.57 million at the end of March-23 with a monthly growth rate of 0.86 per cent," a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) release said. Top five service providers constituted 98.37 per cent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of March 2023, including Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (43.85 crore), Bharti Airtel (24.19 crore), Vodafone Idea (12.48 crore). Overall, the number of total telephone subscribers in India increased to 1,172.84 million (117.2 crore) at the end of March 2023, showing a monthly growth rate of 0.21 per cent. "Urban telephone subscription increased from 652.16 million at the end of February-23 to 653.71 million at the end of March-23 and the rural subscription also increased from 517.77 million to 518.63 million during the same period. "The monthly growth rates of urban and rural telephone subscription were 0.24 per cent and 0.17 per cent respectively during the month of March-23," TRAI said. Overall teledensity in India increased to 84.51 per cent at the end of March 2023. "The Urban Tele-density increased from 133.70 per cent at the end of February-23 to 133.81 per cent at the end of March-23 and rural tele-density also increased from 57.63 per cent to 57.71 per cent during the same period," it said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/gautam-adani-in-striking-distance-of-entering-the-top-20-richest-club-once-again/articleshow/100437220.cms">Gautam Adani in striking distance of entering the top 20 richest club once again</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/bank-deposits-gold-sales-real-estate-to-get-a-boost-with-2000-note-withdrawal-kotak/articleshow/100429411.cms">Not just bank deposits, gold sales &amp; real estate to get a boost from ₹2,000 note withdrawal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/angel-tax-changes-to-cheer-investors-aid-late-stage-funding-say-experts/articleshow/100422848.cms">Angel tax changes to cheer investors, aid late-stage funding say experts</a>

Jio adds 3 million subscribers in March, Vodafone Idea loses 1.2 million

<ul><li><keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword>, <keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword> and <keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> are expected to report another stable quarter with moderate revenue growth.</li><li><keyword id="6383126" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="telcos" source="Orion">Telcos</keyword> have been witnessing a slowdown in 4G subscriber additions and rising costs due to the 5G rollout.</li><li>Analysts suggest the much-expected tariff hikes will be the “key trigger” going forward.</li></ul>Slowdown in 4G subscriber additions and lack of tariff hikes in over a year could slow down revenue growth of India’s telecom companies, according to analysts. While the market leader Reliance <keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> is expected to report a net addition in subscribers, its rivals Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> and Vodafone Idea are expected to report a decline, as per an <keyword id="46909" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="icici-securities" source="Orion">ICICI Securities</keyword> estimate. And it would have an effect on the revenues of the sector as a whole. “Our Q3FY23 estimates suggest a deceleration in mobile revenue growth across telcos due to SIM consolidation, lower benefit of premiumisation from slowdown in 4G net add, and absence of tariff hikes,” said an ICICI Securities report. Overall, analysts expect the three telcos to report earnings growth in the range of 9.4-19.7% year-on-year. Reliance Jio is expected to report the highest revenue growth at 19.7% YoY while its close rival Airtel is expected to report a 17.5% increase. Vodafone Idea, on the other hand, is expected to report revenue growth on the lower end at 9.4%, according to ICICI Securities. Overall, on a sequential basis, the revenue growth is expected to flat – in the range of 0.1-1.7% — with Vi being on the lower end once again. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Tariff hike the ‘key trigger’ going forward" comment="subhead" text="Tariff hike the ‘key trigger’ going forward">Tariff hike the ‘key trigger’ going forward</cmsannotation> Going forward however, telcos are expected to<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/bharti-airtel-and-reliance-jio-could-hike-tariffs-by-as-much-as-10-according-to-analysts/articleshow/96375427.cms"> deliver a 10% tariff hike in Q4 FY23</a>. Tariff hikes, analysts say, are “key triggers” for telecom stocks. “From an industry structure, balance sheet and cash flow viewpoint, telcos remain one of the best positioned and a defensive play to navigate through the market uncertainties, if any. Potential tariff hike is the key trigger,” said a report by Dolat Capital. Telcos have been expected to announce tariff hikes for quite some time now – the last tariff hike in the industry was in December 2021. Analysts had expected telcos to deliver a similar hike in December 2022, which never materialized. While Jefferies sees a tariff hike in Q4 FY23, analysts at IIFL Securities suggest the hike could happen only by mid-2023. “Considering large 5G investments and higher network costs on addition of 5G equipment to towers, we believe the next 4G prepaid tariff hike could probably be in mid-2023. Pushing tariff hikes closer to 2024 elections raises the risk of political backlash,” IIFL Securities noted. Despite rolling out 5G services back in October, both <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-5g-prices-may-be-affordable-for-now-but-expected-to-increase-after-wider-rollout/articleshow/94636173.cms">Airtel and Jio are offering 5G services at no added cost</a> to their subscribers. Cumulatively, the three telcos spent ₹1.5 lakh crore towards their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/heres-how-much-mobile-bills-can-increase-from-5g-network-service/articleshow/93312184.cms">spectrum purchases</a>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Increased churn adds to lack of tariff hikes" comment="subhead" text="Increased churn adds to lack of tariff hikes">Increased churn adds to lack of tariff hikes</cmsannotation> As the timelines for possible tariff hikes are yet to emerge, the margins will remain stressed as there is one more pain point that’s added to the sector in the form of increased <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/bharti-airtel-and-reliance-jio-could-hike-tariffs-by-as-much-as-10-according-to-analysts/articleshow/96375427.cms">subscriber churn. Telecom users </a>started shopping for better plans in the last four months. According to the telecom subscriber data for October 2022 released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of MNP requests in October surged to 11.81 million – close to September’s 11.97 million, which is the highest in 2022. “The rise in MNP requests over the past five months implies increasing competition for subscribers in the market. This is also evident from the higher churn levels seen during Q2 FY23 across telcos,” said the Jefferies report. Additionally, the rollout of 5G and Jio offering unlimited high-speed data is also likely to change the competitive landscape of the sector. “Subscriber (sub) base for Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea is likely to shrink while Reliance Jio’s net sub additions (+5mn) may moderate,” said a report by ICICI Securities. The scrambling for high-end 5G customers in a market that’s already saturated will make the telecom market much tougher, putting margins for the sector under pressure. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Text"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/sbi-hdfc-bank-axis-bank-among-other-private-and-public-bank-earnings-could-see-a-further-ramp-up-in-q3-2022/articleshow/96768992.cms">Bank earnings could see a further ramp up in Q3, say analysts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/skippi-ice-pops-what-this-hyderabad-popsicle-brand-is-doing-after-raising-rs-1-crore-from-shark-tank-india-season-1/articleshow/96759786.cms">Skippi Ice Pops – how the Hyderabad-based popsicle brand fared after bagging a ₹1 crore deal on Shark Tank India S1</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-infosys-wipro-and-other-it-companies-earnings-preview-for-q3-fy23/articleshow/96731891.cms">December quarter likely to be a weak one for the IT sector – Infosys amongst top analyst picks</a>

Churn and fewer 4G subscribers to slow down telecom revenue growth in Q3

Reliance Industries, Vodafone Idea, Axis Bank, Deepak Nitrite and other hot stocks on January 24

<ul><li>Reliance <keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> and Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> are waiting it out and getting their users hooked onto 5G before hiking tariffs. </li><li>Elevated subscriber churn has also acted as a barrier against <keyword id="891186" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tariff-hikes" source="Orion">tariff hikes</keyword>, according to analysts. </li><li>Enhancing 5G utilization also lets Jio and Airtel grab market share from <keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword>, which is yet to launch its 5G services. </li></ul>There is a broad consensus amongst both telecom companies’ management and analysts that the sector needs another round of tariff hikes, but <keyword id="6383126" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="telcos" source="Orion">telcos</keyword> seem shy of blinking first this time around amidst a rise in subscriber churn. While analysts have noted multiple times that tariff hikes are imminent, telecom companies are yet to bite the bullet. Bharti Airtel, the second largest telco, had said in Q2 that there is a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/bharti-airtel-reports-89-yoy-increase-in-q2-net-profit-to-2145-crore/articleshow/95207348.cms"> “need for tariff correction”</a>, while Vodafone Idea said during its Q1 investor call that a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vi-betting-on-tariff-hike-as-it-lost-over-10-million-every-day-in-q1-fy23/articleshow/93348828.cms"> tariff hike is necessary</a> before the end of 2022. Curiously enough, neither telco touched upon tariff hikes in their respective Q3 earnings. Global brokerage Jefferies had noted that it expects Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to hike tariffs by 10% each in Q4 of FY23, FY24 and FY25. So far, however, tariff hikes have not materialized and telcos don’t seem to be in any major rush going by the lack of commentary in this regard in their latest earning calls. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Telcos want to get users hooked onto 5G" comment="subhead" text="Telcos want to get users hooked onto 5G">Telcos want to get users hooked onto 5G</cmsannotation> The high cost associated with the acquisition of 5G spectrum and the rollout of 5G services means that tariff hikes remain a key trigger for telecom companies. However, for now, Airtel and Jio are focusing on expanding the availability of their 5G networks and getting users hooked onto the higher data speeds before hiking tariffs. According to the analysts Jefferies, Jio and Airtel are also grabbing market share at the expense of Vodafone Idea, which is struggling to roll out its 5G services due to a fund crunch. “We believe there is greater uncertainty on tariff hikes in the near term given that large capacity creation with 5G will shift focus on boosting utilization. Moreover, focus on market share will rise amidst moderating data subscriber growth and Vodafone Idea’s worsening situation,” said a Jefferies report. <div type="image" title="Telecom market share April-Dec 2Jan-22_31.13_35.49_23.15 Feb-22_31.37_35.28_23.09 Mar-22_31.55_35.37_22.83 Apr-22_31.61_35.5_22.68 May-22_31.62_35.69_22.56 Jun-22_31.63_36_22.37 Jul-22_31.66_36.23_22.22 Aug-22_31.." msid="98123501" hostid="261" sizebytes="30376" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Telecom market share FY23&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Telcos are also wary of the elevated subscriber churn, and a tariff hike at this point could worsen it. “We are not baking in any tariff hikes at all in the calendar year 2023. We believe it will be difficult for operators to do another 20% hike, as subscribers found it difficult to absorb the last 20% hikes, leading to heightened churn,” JP Morgan said in a note. However, analysts at Jefferies were relatively less bearish on the prospect of tariff hikes, saying that we could see one round of hikes by March 2023. Going forward, the brokerage believes that telcos could resort to hiking 4G tariffs and driving up usage of 5G services by offering larger data bundles at a lower cost per GB. “While 5G is unlikely to drive up ARPUs without tariff hikes, it will help Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio gain market share from Vodafone Idea," JP Morgan added. For context, Reliance Jio’s 5G services are available in 277 cities across the country, while Airtel’s 5G services are available in 133 cities. Vodafone Idea, on the other hand, is yet to officially roll out its 5G services. Going forward, the direction telcos choose in monetising 5G will be key in determining the timing and quantum of tariff hikes. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lack of tariff hikes results in marginal uptick in ARPU" comment="subhead" text="Lack of tariff hikes results in marginal uptick in ARPU">Lack of tariff hikes results in marginal uptick in ARPU</cmsannotation> The lack of tariff hikes has also resulted in only a marginal uptick in the average revenue per user (ARPU) of the three telcos. While Jio’s ARPU <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jios-net-profit-up-3-2-sequentially-at-4881-crore-in-q3-on-better-subscriber-mix/articleshow/97179677.cms">increased 1.8%</a> sequentially, Vodafone Idea <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-q3-net-loss-widens-to-7990-crore-average-revenue-per-user-edges-up-to-135/articleshow/97939836.cms">reported</a> a 3% increase. Airtel, on the other hand, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/bharti-airtel-q3-net-profit-jumps-91-to-1588-crore-misses-estimates/articleshow/97698481.cms">reported</a> a 1.6% increase due to premiumisation. The increase in 4G usage also helped Jio and Airtel post a moderate uptick in their revenue – while Jio’s revenue increased marginally by 2.4% sequentially in Q3, Airtel reported a 3.7% topline growth. According to the analysts at JM Financial, this revenue uptick was due to an increase in 4G subscribers – while Jio’s subscriber base grew by 4.55 million, Airtel reported an increase of 3.39 million during the December quarter. Vodafone Idea, on the other hand, reported a decline of 7.81 million subscribers during this period. However, the analysts at Jefferies believe that the government picking up a 33% stake in Vodafone Idea has improved the outlook for tariff hikes in the longer term. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/indian-banks-dream-run-could-soon-be-over-as-deposit-rates-start-catching-up-to-lending-rates/articleshow/98117219.cms">Indian banks’ dream run could soon be over as deposit rates start catching up to lending rates</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/microsoft-bing-chatgpt-gives-death-threats-tries-to-break-a-marriage-and-more/articleshow/98091746.cms">Skynet, anyone? Microsoft’s Bing AI gives death threats, tries to break a marriage and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-group-stocks-meltdown-continues-on-monday/articleshow/98084715.cms">Adani group stocks meltdown continues on Monday – Adani Enterprises sees the biggest decline</a>

Wary of churn, telcos want to get users hooked onto 5G before hiking tariffs

<ul><li><keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> is in talks with its lenders for a loan recast.</li><li>The telco last month opted for the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues moratorium.</li><li><keyword id="6354955" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kumar-mangalam-birla" source="Orion">Kumar Mangalam Birla</keyword> may infuse $150 million into Vodafone Idea.</li></ul>Vodafone Idea and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-opts-for-agr-dues-moratorium-becomes-the-second-telco-to-do-so/articleshow/87254202.cms">Airtel</a> last month opted for the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues moratorium that was announced by the government as part of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/telecom-relief-package-airtel-vodafone-idea-get-four-year-moratorium-on-agr-dues/articleshow/86227218.cms">telecom relief package</a>. By opting for the moratorium, Vodafone Idea was able to free up its cash-flow by up to ₹60,000 crore for four years, putting it in a better position to recover from its woes. According to a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/vodafone-idea-in-talks-with-banks-for-loan-recast/articleshow/87616740.cms?from=mdr">report</a> by The Economic Times (ET), now Vodafone Idea is in talks with its lenders, including a consortium led by the State Bank of India (SBI), its biggest lender for a recast of loans. "After the government extended relief to the telco, lenders believe that uncertainty over its future is over for now," said an official aware of the discussions to ET. Vodafone Idea is reportedly looking for a stay on its interest payments, lower rates or a longer payment tenure. Banks have an exposure of ₹28,740 crore to Vodafone Idea, of which, SBI alone has an exposure of ₹11,000 crore. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is a loan recast?" comment="subhead" text="What is a loan recast?">What is a loan recast?</cmsannotation> A loan recast is restructuring of a loan, offering concessions such as stay on interest, longer repayment tenure, lower interest or a combination of these. Banks’ exposure to Vodafone Idea: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Amount </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">% of loan book </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IDFC First Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,240 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2.90% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Yes Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹4,000 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2.40% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IndusInd Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,500 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.65% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Punjab National Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,000 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0.44% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">State Bank of India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹11,000 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0.43% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ICICI Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,700 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0.23% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Axis Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,300 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0.21% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HDFC Bank </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,000 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0.09% </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: Nomura Vodafone Idea has reportedly also informed its lenders that it has resumed talks with global investors to raise funds. The funds will be used by the telco for infrastructure improvement. As per <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/birla-may-infuse-at-least-150-mn-into-vodafone-idea-this-month-11635879044507.html">reports</a>, Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla may infuse $150 million into the company, followed by <keyword id="137231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vodafone-group" source="Orion">Vodafone Group</keyword> which is expected to monetise a part of its stake in Indus Towers and invest it into Vodafone. The AGR dues moratorium and reports of fresh investments have also boosted the confidence of banks in Vodafone Idea. "There is no reason for us to be really concerned. They have plans which they are working on in terms of raising capital, etc, and also increasing the investment in technology. So, that account is back on track,” <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/provisions-plan-banks-stay-cautious-on-vodafone-exposures/2363215/">said</a> SBI Chairman Dinesh Khara. Business Insider India has written to Vodafone Idea and is awaiting a response. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-and-airtel-need-tariff-hikes-agr-moratorium-might-not-be-enough-say-analysts/articleshow/86285450.cms">Vodafone Idea and Airtel need tariff hikes, AGR moratorium might not be enough, say analysts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-vodafone-idea-and-jio-welcome-telecom-relief-package-but-analysts-are-divided-on-whether-it-is-enough/articleshow/86252002.cms">Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Jio welcome telecom relief package, but analysts are divided on whether it is enough</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/yes-bank-sbi-and-others-want-vodafone-idea-to-be-saved-heres-why/articleshow/86196076.cms">Yes Bank, SBI and others want Vodafone Idea to be saved, here’s why</a>

You Searched For "vodafone idea bank guarantee" and got 9 results

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Jio adds 3 million subscribers in March, Vodafone Idea loses 1.2 million

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Churn and fewer 4G subscribers to slow down telecom revenue growth in Q3

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Wary of churn, telcos want to get users hooked onto 5G before hiking tariffs

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After relief from Indian government, Vodafone Idea reportedly turns to banks for a loan recast

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