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Mobile phone users might have to spend notably more for their recharge packs after the general election, as reports indicate that telecom firms are gearing up for a fourth round of <keyword id="891186" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tariff-hikes" source="Orion">tariff hikes</keyword> in recent times. According to a report by brokerage Axis Capital, a meaningful hike of approximately 25% by operators is anticipated soon. This surge is attributed to a stable competitive environment, the necessity to bolster profitability post heavy <keyword id="21245910" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="5G-investments" source="keywords">5G investments</keyword>, and ongoing government support. Despite the apparent magnitude of the increase, the report suggests it should be manageable for both urban and rural users. Urban households may witness a rise in telecom expenditure from 3.2% to 3.6% of total expenditure, while for rural subscribers, spending could escalate from 5.2% to 5.9%. Analysts predict that the consumers are likely to remain loyal and pay up, especially if they continue to enjoy high-speed connectivity — a vital need of these modern times. For <keyword id="20055601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-operators" source="keywords">telecom operators</keyword>, the projected roughly 25% hike in headline rates is expected to correspond to a 16% growth in the average revenue per user (ARPU), as estimated by Axis Capital. While <keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> reported an ARPU of Rs 181.7 for the quarter ending March, Bharti Airtel and <keyword id="19899016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="keywords">Vodafone Idea</keyword> (Vi) are yet to disclose their March quarter numbers. However, their figures stood at Rs 208 and Rs 145 respectively for the October-December 2023 period. Peeyush Vaish, TMT industry leader at Deloitte, South Asia, anticipates a 10-15% increase in ARPUs, adding approximately Rs 100 per subscriber by the end of this calendar year. This hike is expected to be driven by price increases for 4G/5G bundled packs and the phasing out of low-value packs. Analysts foresee Bharti Airtel and Jio emerging as the primary beneficiaries of the <keyword id="21656632" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wireless-pack-price-hike" source="keywords">wireless pack price hike</keyword>. While Vi is also expected to boost its ARPU by fortifying its network and minimising subscriber churn, the overall revenue impact may still be limited compared to its competitors. At the end of Q4 FY24, Jio’s total assets stood at Rs 4,87,405 crore, while its net profit from January to March climbed to Rs 5,337 crore from Rs 4,716 crore a year ago. On the other hand, Bharti Airtel’s consolidated Q4 revenue came in at Rs 37,599 crore, with its net profit of Rs 2,072 crore dropping 31.1% compared to a year ago. (With inputs from The Economic Times)

Mobile recharge packs to get more expensive as telcos gear up for another round of tariff hikes: Report

<ul><li><keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> reported a net loss of ₹7,990 crore in Q2 as compared to ₹7,231 crore in the same quarter, a year ago. </li><li>The telco also lost 5.8 million subscribers during the quarter, but its average revenue per user (<keyword id="107848" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="arpu" source="Orion">ARPU</keyword>) improved to ₹135 from ₹131 in the previous quarter. </li><li>The company’s CEO <keyword id="2786361" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="akshaya-moondra" source="Orion">Akshaya Moondra</keyword> maintained that Vi is engaging with lenders and investors to raise funds for network expansion and 5G rollout. </li></ul>Vodafone Idea’s troubles continue to worsen as its net loss widened to ₹7,990 crore in Q3, both on a year-on-year and sequential comparison. It was also higher than analyst estimates, albeit<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/earnings/vodafone-idea-q3-preview-debt-ridden-telco-may-report-wider-loss/articleshow/97863951.cms"> marginally</a>. The telco reported a net loss of ₹7,596 crore in Q2, and ₹7,231 crore in Q3 last year. On the other hand, its revenues grew 9.3% YOY to ₹10,621 crore. Sequentially, its topline was flat – the telco<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-ideas-q2-loss-widens-to-7596-crore/articleshow/95282354.cms"> reported</a> a revenue of ₹10,615 crore in Q2. Vi’s stock was trading flat in the first half on Wednesday at ₹7.7. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Subscriber base continues to shrink, but 4G user additions boost ARPU" comment="subhead" text="Subscriber base continues to shrink, but 4G user additions boost ARPU">Subscriber base continues to shrink, but 4G user additions boost ARPU</cmsannotation> Like its peers <keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword> and <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword>, Vodafone Idea also reported a slight uptick in its average revenue per user (ARPU) during the quarter to ₹135, as compared to ₹131 in the previous quarter, and ₹115 a year ago. Its ARPU is still significantly lower than that of its rivals Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> and Reliance Jio. While Airtel<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> an ARPU of ₹193 in Q3, Jio<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"> reported</a> an ARPU of ₹178.2. Vi’s total subscriber base continued to shrink, declining to 228 million in Q3 from 234 million in the previous quarter. In the same period last year, Vi’s subscriber base stood at 247 million. On a positive note, Vi’s 4G subscriber base continued to increase. In Q3, Vi added 1 million 4G subscribers, taking the total to 121.6 million at the end of the quarter. Vi’s 4G subscribers as a percentage of its total subscribers increased to 53.2% during Q3, up from 51.5% in the previous quarter. Vodafone Idea’s Q3 in numbers: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 FY23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 FY23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 FY22 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Revenue </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,621 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,615 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹9,717 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Net profit </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- ₹7,990 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- ₹7,596 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- ₹7,231 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ARPU </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹135 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹131 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹115 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total subscribers </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">228.6 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">234.4 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">247.2 million </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4G subscribers </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">121.6 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">120.6 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">117 million </td></tr></tbody></table> Source: Company reports <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout says Vi" comment="subhead" text="Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout says Vi">Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout says Vi</cmsannotation> Even as its rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea rolled out their respective 5G networks extensively across the country, Vi says it is still in talks with stakeholders for its 5G rollout. “We continue to remain engaged with our lenders for further debt fund raising as well as with other parties for equity or equity-linked fund raising, to make required investments for network expansion and 5G rollout,” said Akshaya Moondra, CEO, Vi. Vi acquired 5G spectrum worth ₹18,799 crore, payable in 20 annual installments. Its rivals Airtel and Reliance Jio<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-vs-airtel-which-one-will-offer-faster-and-more-reliable-5g-services/articleshow/93516727.cms"> acquired</a> spectrum worth ₹43,084 crore and ₹88,078 crore, respectively. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-enterprises-posts-820-crore-net-profit-in-q3-gautam-adani-says-current-market-volatility-temporary/articleshow/97914997.cms">Adani Enterprises posts ₹820 crore net profit in Q3: Gautam Adani says current market volatility temporary</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-group-market-cap-falls-below-10-lakh-crore/articleshow/97907746.cms">Adani group’s market cap falls below ₹10 lakh crore as sell-off continues</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/nykaas-stock-plunges-4-2-after-its-q3-net-profit-slips-70/articleshow/97901748.cms">Nykaa’s stock plunges 4.2% after its Q3 net profit slips 70%</a>

Vodafone Idea Q3 net loss widens to ₹7,990 crore, average revenue per user edges up to ₹135

<ul><li>Earnings of Indian telecom companies are headed for a moderation in Q4 amidst a lack of significant tariff hikes. </li><li>Analysts expect a rise in data usage and users upgrading to 4G/5G to lift the average revenue per user (ARPU) as well as margins. </li><li><keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword>’s focus on aggressive expansion of 5G coverage across the country is also expected to keep their capital expenditure elevated.</li></ul>Indian telecom companies are likely to report a moderation in Q4 earnings amidst a lack of significant tariff hikes. An expected slowdown in market share gains of leading telcos Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel at the expense of <keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> is also expected to weigh on the quarterly results. Analysts, however, expect an increase in data usage and users upgrading to 4G/5G to boost the average revenue per user (ARPU) as well as margins. According to a report by Motilal Oswal, Jio and Airtel are expected to report a 4-5% sequential growth in data usage in Q4, while Vodafone Idea is expected to see a 1% increase. “The industry continues to see outsized churn in the lower ARPU segments given the sharp hike in entry-level prepaid tariff in the last 18-24 months. Hence, subscriber (subs) addition is likely to remain muted,” said a report by JM Financial referring to the increase in base tariffs, like Airtel’s ₹99 plan that was increased to ₹155. Analysts expect Jio to lead in terms of revenue growth at 13.6% year-on-year, followed closely by Airtel at 12.9%. Vodafone Idea is expected to come in third at 2.6%. Overall, though, analysts at JM Financial have Airtel as their top pick. “Bharti is the biggest beneficiary of higher tariffs given the sticky and premium quality of its subs, ensuring that tariff hikes flow through to ARPU.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Airtel to extend its lead over rivals in ARPU" comment="subhead" text="Airtel to extend its lead over rivals in ARPU">Airtel to extend its lead over rivals in ARPU</cmsannotation> While Jio has kept its tariffs unchanged, Airtel has hiked the price of its base plan of ₹99 to ₹155 in all the 22 circles, after testing the waters in Q3. This will help the telco increase its ARPU a tad higher than its peers – analysts at Motilal Oswal expect Airtel’s ARPU to increase to ₹197 from ₹193. Jio and Vodafone Idea are expected to report a ₹2 increase in their ARPUs to ₹179 and ₹137, respectively. In addition to this, the brokerage also expects SIM consolidation – wherein subscribers dump extra SIM cards and retain their primary one – to aid ARPU growth. Once again, Airtel and Jio could emerge as the top gainers with a 2-3% sequential growth while it is expected to be flat for Vodafone Idea. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jio and Airtel’s unlimited 5G plans to aid market share gains" comment="subhead" text="Jio and Airtel’s unlimited 5G plans to aid market share gains">Jio and Airtel’s unlimited 5G plans to aid market share gains</cmsannotation> Adding to the woes of Vodafone Idea, Jio and Airtel’s unlimited 5G plans, starting at ₹239 per month, are expected to help the latter two gain market share at the expense of the former. The analyst consensus is that Jio and Airtel could gain between 1-2% subscribers during the quarter, while Vodafone Idea is expected to lose 1% of its subscribers. That said, the subscriber loss for Vodafone Idea could be lower in Q4 on a sequential basis, at 3 million versus 5-6 million in the previous two quarters. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Capital expenditure to remain elevated due to 5G rollout" comment="subhead" text="Capital expenditure to remain elevated due to 5G rollout">Capital expenditure to remain elevated due to 5G rollout</cmsannotation> Jio and Airtel’s focus on aggressive expansion of 5G coverage across the country will result in high capital expenditure outlays, according to brokerages. While <keyword id="6668253" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jio-5g" source="Orion">Jio 5G</keyword> is currently available in over 400 cities across India, Airtel has taken a lead and expanded to over 500 cities. For context, Airtel and Jio had 5G coverage in 66 and 70 cities respectively in December 2022. “We expect their capex to remain elevated in 4QFY23 and may increase further from previous quarters,” Motilal Oswal said. While Jio targets pan-India 5G coverage by December 2023, Airtel is aiming to cover all major cities by the end of March 2023. All in all, Jio’s capex outlay for 5G rollout, including spectrum costs, is ₹2 lakh crore. Airtel, on the other hand, has an outlay of ₹75,000 crore. With the pace of rollout expected to increase from here on, the capex is expected to increase at the same pace. Vodafone Idea’s 5G rollout will depend on its fundraising, the details of which are unclear at the moment. Analysts at ICICI Securities expect Airtel to call for the second tranche of payment for its ₹21,000 crore rights issue to fund its 5G capex – the telco had announced it back in October 2021. Overall, the gap between the leaders – Jio and Airtel, and the laggard – Vodafone Idea, is<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/increased-competition-delayed-tariff-hikes-could-effectively-lead-to-a-jio-airtel-duopoly/articleshow/99065537.cms"> expected to continue to widen in Q4</a> in all critical aspects like revenue, profit, ARPU and subscribers. The lack of a fundraise too has delayed Vodafone Idea’s 5G rollout, which is only making matters worse for the telco. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/increased-competition-delayed-tariff-hikes-could-effectively-lead-to-a-jio-airtel-duopoly/articleshow/99065537.cms">Increased competition, delayed tariff hikes could effectively lead to a Jio-Airtel duopoly</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-revises-indias-fy24-growth-outlook-expects-softer-inflation-on-the-back-of-lower-commodity-prices/articleshow/99290005.cms">RBI revises India’s FY24 growth outlook, expects softer inflation on the back of lower commodity prices</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbis-monetary-policy-committee-keeps-repo-rate-unchanged-at-6-5/articleshow/99284354.cms">RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5%, for now</a>

Telecom companies’ Q4 revenue likely to moderate due to lack of significant tariff hikes

<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

<ul><li>India’s second largest telecom company Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of <keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword>’s troubles. </li><li>While Airtel already boasts of the industry-best average revenue per user (ARPU), thanks to higher quality subscribers, lower churn and higher consumption are now aiding the company’s bottom line. </li><li>Going forward, analysts have underlined why Airtel and not market leader Reliance Jio is expected to make the most out of Vodafone Idea’s troubles. </li></ul>India’s second largest telecom company Bharti Airtel is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of Vi’s troubles, regardless of whether the Indian telecom market continues to operate as it is today with three players or becomes a duopoly. Since Reliance Jio’s debut in 2016, the Indian telecom sector has seen a massive upheaval and consolidation. From nearly 9 active telecom companies in the private sector, only Jio, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea have active operations, and they account for 91% of India’s total subscriber base. While Vodafone Idea is struggling to retain its subscribers and cut down on losses, Jio and Airtel have consolidated their leads and expanded their market share over the past two years. Vodafone Idea’s market share has fallen from 24% at the end of March 2021 to just 20.7% two years later. Airtel<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/bharti-airtel-q4-net-profit-jumps-50-yoy-to-3006-crore-beats-estimates/articleshow/100280246.cms"> reported</a> a 50% YoY jump in its Q4 net profit to ₹3,006 crore. Better quality subscribers, increasing consumption and lower churn helped the company shore up its bottom line during the quarter. “We are seeing lower churn and we are also seeing a growth in consumption,” said Gopal Vittal, chief executive officer and managing director, Bharti Airtel in a post-earnings call with analysts. For context, while Vodafone Idea lost nearly 1.96 million subscribers per month in FY22 and FY23, Airtel added an average of 0.8 million subscribers per month while Jio added 0.3 million subscribers per month. Net subscriber additions in FY22 and FY23 <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></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;">Company </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;">FY22 </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;">FY23 </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;">Total </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;">Reliance Jio </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;">-18.8 million </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;">26.1 million </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;">7.3 million </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;">Bharti Airtel </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;">7.9 million </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;">10.5 million </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;">18.4 million </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;">Vodafone Idea </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;">-22.9 million </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;">-24.0 million </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;">-46.9 million </td></tr></tbody></table> Source: <keyword id="6356988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI" source="Orion">TRAI</keyword> Underlining Vodafone Idea’s steep fall is the fact that post the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular in August 2018, the merged entity had 440 million subscribers. Fast forward to March 2023, its subscriber base has declined to 237 million, which is a decline of 203 million. The analysts at Macquarie Research say that regardless of what happens to Vodafone Idea, the outlook looks bright for Airtel, ahead of market leader Reliance Jio. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Airtel the biggest winner regardless of Vodafone Idea’s survival" comment="subhead" text="Airtel the biggest winner regardless of Vodafone Idea’s survival">Airtel the biggest winner regardless of Vodafone Idea’s survival</cmsannotation> With Vodafone Idea’s troubles not showing any signs of receding anytime soon, analysts at Macquarie Research believe that Airtel could end up being the biggest winner instead of market leader Reliance Jio, estimating the telco’s subscriber base, average revenue per user (ARPU) and ROIC. Return on invested capital, or ROIC, is a financial metric that measures a company’s ability to efficiently allocate assets to profitable ventures. Higher the ROIC, the better it is. “The incremental operating leverage at Bharti Airtel is much higher than Jio due to an already optimized cost structure at Jio and with finance charges set to catch-up and sticky depreciation &amp; amortization charges,” says Macquarie in its report, explaining why it expects Airtel and not Jio is expected to be the biggest winner regardless of what happens to Vodafone Idea. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The white knight" comment="subhead" text="The white knight">The white knight</cmsannotation> The first scenario involves the telco being bailed out via capital infusion and a growth in its ARPU to cover its liabilities over the next 10-15 years. In this scenario, while Jio and Airtel are not expected to gain much in terms of subscribers, Airtel’s higher incremental operating leverage than Jio puts it in a better position. As a result, its ROIC is expected to rise from existing 6% to 10-14% by FY27, while Jio’s ROIC is expected to rise from 7% to 7-10% in the same period. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The slow grind" comment="subhead" text="The slow grind">The slow grind</cmsannotation> If things don’t change and Vi is unable to raise funds and invest in its network, analysts expect the telco to continue losing subscribers and its market share falling to just 15% by FY30. In this scenario, Reliance Jio could expand its subscriber base to 500 million, followed by Airtel at 365 million and Vodafone Idea at 200 million. Airtel is expected to take the lead in two other critical metrics – ARPU and ROIC. Its ARPU is expected to rise to ₹250 by FY27, while Jio is expected to remain in the second place at ₹235. Airtel’s ROIC is expected to rise to 10-13%, with Jio once again in the second place at 7-10%. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Duopoly" comment="subhead" text="Duopoly">Duopoly</cmsannotation> Duopoly is the worst-case scenario for Vodafone Idea. If the telco winds down its operations, Jio and Airtel could gain in terms of subscribers as well as ROIC. In this case, Jio’s subscriber base could rise up to 585 million by FY27, with Airtel coming in second place at 455 million. However, Vodafone Idea’s exit could lead to even better ROIC for both Airtel and Jio, with Macquarie pegging Airtel’s ROIC to be in the range of 10-16%, while Jio is expected to remain in the second place with a ROIC of 8-12%. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/lic-shares-surge-over-3-after-it-posts-a-five-fold-jump-in-q4-net-profit/articleshow/100495712.cms">LIC shares surge over 3% after it posts a five-fold jump in Q4 net profit</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-enterprises-titan-eicher-motors-tata-motors-reliance-and-other-big-companies-performance-in-nifty-50/articleshow/100474408.cms">Big boys drive Nifty50’s revenue and profit growth in FY23</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/gqg-partners-rajiv-jain-doubles-down-on-his-adani-bet/articleshow/100450041.cms">GQG Partners’ Rajiv Jain doubles down on his Adani bet</a>

Airtel, not Jio, to gain the most from Vodafone Idea's troubles

<ul><li><keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword>’s shares zoomed on Monday after the government agreed to convert interest dues worth ₹16,133 crore into equity.</li><li>The equity conversion will make the government the largest shareholder of Vodafone Idea, with a 33% stake.</li><li>The government will remain a passive investor, leaving the Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Plc as the primary decision makers of the telco.</li></ul>Vodafone Idea’s shares zoomed by 25% on Monday hitting an upper circuit, after the government agreed to convert interest dues worth ₹16,133 crore into equity. The move breathed a fresh lease of life into the telco’s attempts to raise funds to make payments to vendors and sign contracts with telecom equipment makers and roll out its 5G network. The share price of the troubled telco is back to its December 2022 levels, erasing the losses it saw this year, so far. <div type="image" title="Vodafone Idea share price April 2022 to Feb 2023." msid="97642952" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Vodafone Idea share price in FY23&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “The total amount to be converted into equity shares is ₹16133,18,48,990. The Company has been directed to issue 1613,31,84,899 equity shares of the face value of ₹10 each at an issue price of ₹10 each,” Vodafone Idea said in an exchange filing on February 3. The equity conversion will pave the way for the government to become the largest shareholder of Vodafone Idea, long after the telecom reforms package was <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">announced in September 2021</a>. As a result of this, the Aditya Birla Group’s stake will stand at 31.8%, while Vodafone Plc’s stake will be at 18.3%. This is a reduction from the existing stake of 75% held by the two promoters. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="86221662" title="Government picking up a stake in Vodafone Idea ‘might be a remedy worse than the disease’, say experts" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> However, Aditya Birla Group, and Vodafone Plc, will continue to drive the company. Vodafone Idea’s management has already underlined that the government will neither take a seat on the company’s board, nor will it take decisions regarding the company’s operations. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Capital infusion key to Vodafone Idea’s future" comment="subhead" text="Capital infusion key to Vodafone Idea’s future">Capital infusion key to Vodafone Idea’s future</cmsannotation> Capital infusion remains a key to Vodafone Idea’s future, according to analysts. The telco has been struggling to retain subscribers while its rivals <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> and Bharti Airtel have seen both their subscriber numbers as well as the average revenue per user (ARPU) climb up each quarter since FY22. In the company’s post-result investor call in Q2, Vodafone Idea’s chief executive officer Akshaya Moondra had said, ‘’We are trying to close the funding quickly so that some of the backlog of vendor payments that we have can be addressed.” Vodafone Idea needs funds not just to fund its capital expenditure requirements, but also to service its debt. According to a Motilal Oswal report, its current earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of ₹8,700 crore in FY23 is inadequate to service debt. Capex is another piece of puzzle that the telco needs to solve. Vodafone Idea is yet to roll out its 5G offerings even as Jio and Airtel 5G services have been available in several parts of the country since October 2022. “The much-awaited capital raise remains critical to provide immediate liquidity and invest in the rollout of 5G and extending 4G infrastructure. Vodafone Idea acquired 5G spectrum in the 3300Mhz and 26GHz bands in the recent auction (September 2022) but unlike Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, it has not deployed the spectrum and remains significantly behind in 4G network rollout too,” said the Motilal Oswal report. It remains to be seen if the equity conversion gives investors enough confidence about the future of Vodafone Idea, and whether it will be enough for them to infuse funds that the telco needs desperately. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Text"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-stocks-59844-crore-market-capitalisation-wiped-out-today-in-morning-trading/articleshow/97638076.cms">Adani group stocks continue to plummet – lose ₹59,844 crore in market capitalisation on Monday</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adanis-stock-rout-can-impact-its-ability-to-raise-capital-or-refinance-debt-says-moodys/articleshow/97582403.cms">Adani’s stock rout can impact its ability to raise capital or refinance debt, says Moody’s</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-for-the-amrit-kaal-powered-by-capex-rooted-in-fiscal-consolidation/articleshow/97551916.cms">Budget for the Amrit Kaal: Powered by capex, rooted in fiscal consolidation</a>

Vodafone Idea shares hit 25% upper circuit after govt agrees to convert ₹16,133 cr dues into equity

<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

<ul><li><keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> reported a net loss of ₹7,596 crore in Q2, from ₹7,132 crore a year ago. </li><li>The telco also lost six million subscribers during the quarter, but its average revenue per user (ARPU) improved to ₹131 from ₹128 in the previous quarter. </li><li>Vi’s CEO Akshaya Moondra said the company is engaging with lenders and investors to raise funds for network expansion and 5G rollout. </li></ul>Vodafone Idea (Vi), India’s third largest telecom company, today reported a net loss of ₹7,596 crore in Q2, from ₹7,132 crore a year ago. The telco’s revenues during the quarter increased 12.9% year-on-year to ₹10,611 crore. However, Vi is now earning more from its customers. Its average revenue per user (ARPU) has increased both sequentially and on-year basis. At the same time, it has not been able to stem subscriber loss. In the September quarter, the telco lost 6 million subscribers, and its subscriber base stood at 234.4 million as at September 30, 2022. Vi’s ARPU edged up to ₹131 during Q2, from ₹128 in the previous quarter, and ₹109 in the same period last year. On a positive note, the telco reported a growth in the 4G subscriber base during Q2, with total 4G subscribers at 120.6 million at the end of the quarter, up from 119 million in the previous quarter. For comparison, in the same period previous year, Vi’s 4G subscriber base stood at 116.2 million. However, the telco’s pace of 4G subscriber addition has slowed down in Q2 this year – Vi added 1.5 million 4G subscribers this quarter, as against 3.3 million in the same period last year. Its net worth stood at a negative ₹76,417 crore, worsening from negative ₹69,261 crore in the previous quarter and negative ₹52,686 crore a year ago. Here’s Vodafone Idea’s Q2 in numbers: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 FY23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q1 FY23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 FY22 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Revenue </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,611 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,407 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹9,402 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Net profit </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-₹7,596 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-₹7,297 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-₹7,132 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ARPU </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹131 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹128 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.99609pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.99609pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹109 </td></tr></tbody></table> Source: Company reports <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout, says Vodafone Idea" comment="subhead" text="Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout, says Vodafone Idea">Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout, says Vodafone Idea</cmsannotation> While its rivals <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> and Bharti Airtel have started rolling out 5G services in select parts of the country, Vi says it is in talks with stakeholders to get its 5G rollout going. “We continue to remain engaged with our lenders and investors for further fund raising to make required investments for network expansion and 5G rollout,” said Akshaya Moondra, CEO, Vi. Vi acquired 5G spectrum worth ₹18,799 crore, payable in 20 annual installments. Its rivals Airtel and Reliance Jio<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-vs-airtel-which-one-will-offer-faster-and-more-reliable-5g-services/articleshow/93516727.cms"> acquired</a> spectrum worth ₹43,084 crore and ₹88,078 crore, respectively. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Subscriber churn worsens, but engagement sees an uptick" comment="subhead" text="Subscriber churn worsens, but engagement sees an uptick">Subscriber churn worsens, but engagement sees an uptick</cmsannotation> Subscriber churn, which refers to the number of subscribers which have stopped paying for services, worsened during the quarter to 4.3%. For context, it stood at 2.9% in the same period last year, and 3.5% in the previous quarter. On the other hand, customer engagement edged up during the September quarter. Data usage stood at 15GB per month (per user) in Q2, up from 14.5GB a year ago. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/september-earnings-on-track-but-its-time-to-tone-down-optimism-says-kotak-institutional-equities/articleshow/95272073.cms">September earnings on track, but it’s time to tone down optimism says Kotak Institutional Equities</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/hdfc-reports-18-year-on-year-rise-in-q2-net-profit-to-4454-crore/articleshow/95279744.cms">HDFC reports 18% year-on-year rise in Q2 net profit to ₹4,454 crore</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/interest-rates-on-deposits-need-to-go-up-say-experts-as-share-of-fds-in-household-financial-assets-drops/articleshow/95275488.cms">Interest rates on deposits need to go up, say experts, as share of FDs in household financial assets drops</a>

Vodafone Idea’s Q2 loss widens to ₹7,596 crore

<ul><li><keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword>’s board of directors is scheduled to meet on October 21 to consider raising funds. </li><li>The meeting comes at a crucial time, when <keyword id="6375231" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indus-towers" source="Orion">Indus Towers</keyword>, one of the main tower providers of Vodafone Idea, has demanded the telco pay up its dues. </li><li>Shares of the telco gained after the fundraising announcement. </li></ul>Vodafone Idea’s board of directors will meet on October 21 to consider fundraising via convertible debentures, the telco said in an exchange filing, without divulging details about the quantum of the fund raise. "We wish to inform you that a meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled to be held on October 21, 2022, inter-alia, to consider and evaluate a proposal for issuance of debenture securities convertible into equity shares on a preferential/private placement basis to a vendor," Vodafone Idea said in its exchange filing. Convertible debenture is a long-term debt that can be converted into equity shares after a specified period. Vodafone Idea’s latest attempt to raise funds is for investing in its network and also to pay its dues to its service providers, including Indus Towers – a tower company in which rival telco Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> holds a 47.76% stake. Notably, Vodafone Idea’s parent company, <keyword id="105732" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vodafone-group-plc" source="Orion">Vodafone Group Plc</keyword>, also holds a 21.05% stake in Indus Towers. Vodafone Idea<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/clear-dues-or-lose-tower-access-indus-towers-to-vodafone-idea/articleshow/94492219.cms"> reportedly</a> owes over ₹7,000 crore to Indus Towers. The tower company has asked the telco to clear dues or risk losing access to towers from November. Reacting to the news, Vodafone Idea’s shares rose 1% to ₹8.55. This is, however, still below the ₹10 level that the government is reportedly waiting for before converting its debt to equity, 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 announced in 2021</a>. The package gave telcos an option to go for a four-year moratorium on their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and spectrum dues, among other things. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The tide that won’t stem" comment="subhead" text="The tide that won’t stem">The tide that won’t stem</cmsannotation> In 2022 so far, Vodafone Idea has lost over 12 million subscribers, according to data from telecom regulator TRAI. Its rivals <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> and Airtel continue to add subscribers at a rapid pace. <div type="image" title="Airtel Reliance Jio Vodafone Idea subscriber additions Jan-Aug 2022." msid="94963881" hostid="261" sizebytes="23682" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Telecom subscriber trends in 2022 so far&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> While the telecom sector is<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/telecom-sector-to-ring-in-stability-in-q2-jio-and-airtel-expected-to-grow-stronger-vi-weaker/articleshow/94709309.cms"> expected</a> to ring in stability in Q2, analysts suggest Vodafone Idea will continue to grow weaker. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/maggi-maker-nestl-indias-net-profit-grows-8-3-to-668-crore-in-q2/articleshow/94960866.cms">Maggi maker Nestlé India’s net profit grows 8.3% to ₹668 crore in Q2</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/moonlighting-is-fine-as-long-as-it-is-unrelated-to-what-we-do-for-our-clients-says-lt-tech/articleshow/94958101.cms">Moonlighting is fine as long as it is unrelated to what we do for our clients, says L&amp;T Tech</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/jaypee-and-amrapali-groups-collapse-leaving-buyers-in-the-lurch/articleshow/94961447.cms">70,000 housing units in trouble after Jaypee and Amrapali groups head into financial trouble</a>

Vodafone Idea board to meet on October 21 to consider fundraising via convertible debentures

Telecommunication player Vodafone is reportedly planning to slash hundreds of jobs, mostly at its London-based headquarters, to cut costs in the global economic slowdown. The Financial Times reported that this will be the company's "biggest round of job cuts in five years". Vodafone employs about 104,000 people globally and 9,400 people in the UK. In November last year, the company said it will cut 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) of costs by 2026. Its CEO Nick Read stepped down at 2022 end, replaced by chief financial officer Margherita Della Valle for an interim period. Read stepped down as Group Chief Executive and as a Director of Vodafone on December 31, following which he will be available as an adviser to the Board until March 31, 2023. He had said that cost savings measures would "be achieved through streamlining and simplification of the group". In a statement, Vodafone said it was reviewing its operating model, focusing on streamlining and simplifying the group. "We will say more about the changes when we announce our third-quarter results on February 1," said the company. Earlier this week, the company agreed to sell its business in Hungary to a local IT company called 4iG and the Hungarian state for $1.82 billion. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/sharks-reject-this-wearable-sleep-relaxer-startups-product-call-it-a-nonsense-idea/articleshow/96983681.cms">Shark Tank S2 judges refuse to 'get in bed' with this wearable sleep relaxer biz</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-results-q3-fy23-wipro-sees-fy23-revenue-guidance-between-11-5-12/articleshow/96969117.cms">Wipro sees FY23 revenue growth at 11.5-12%, Q3 profit growth beats analyst expectations</a>

Vodafone Group plans hundreds of job cuts, biggest in 5 years: Report

<ul><li>The Indian <keyword id="6354776" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom" source="Orion">telecom</keyword> sector runs the risk of turning into a duopoly of <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword>. </li><li>The lack of tariff hikes and 5G monetisation being pushed back would hurt <keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword>’s survival the most, according to analysts. </li><li>At the same time, <keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> and Airtel are aggressively pursuing the hunt for premium subscribers, extending the gap between themselves and Vodafone Idea even more.</li></ul>The Indian telecom sector could turn into a two-player game with both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel stepping up the gas to attract premium subscribers with new postpaid offerings and unlimited 5G data, while the struggling Vodafone Idea is yet to kick off its 5G services despite bagging spectrum last year. Analysts have underlined multiple times that tariff hikes by Indian telecom companies are imminent, however, that has yet to come to fruition. This is despite Bharti Airtel stating 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> and Vodafone Idea stressing 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. Earlier, global brokerage Jefferies noted that it expects Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to hike tariffs by 10% each in Q4 of FY23, FY24 and FY25. To be clear, Airtel has increased the price of its base plan from ₹99 to ₹155 across all the telecom circles in India – but that is the extent of price hikes so far. “A delayed tariff hike while negative for the sector, would hurt Vi’s survival hopes the most, and could effectively lead to a duopoly, likely resulting in accelerated market share gains for Bharti and Reliance Jio,” said a report by Kotak Institutional Equities. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Vodafone Idea: Caught between a rock and a hard place" comment="subhead" text="Vodafone Idea: Caught between a rock and a hard place">Vodafone Idea: Caught between a rock and a hard place</cmsannotation> Jio is on the offensive on multiple fronts to attract premium subscribers – including 5G, postpaid segment, and now pay TV via its ₹198 broadband plan. Airtel, too, has aggressively expanded its 5G presence and is now matching Jio in terms of data allowance. With tariff hikes and 5G monetization on the back burner, Vodafone Idea is caught between a rock and a hard place. With a subscriber loss of over 5.3 million between October and December 2022, 5G launch still not being on the horizon, and the lack of a fundraise so far, would hurt Vodafone Idea’s survival the most. “Vodafone Idea (Vi) stares at a cash shortfall of ₹5,500 crore over the next 12 months and a delay in tariff hike/fund-raise; this could lead to Vi shutting shop and accelerated market share gains for Reliance Jio and Bharti,” said the Kotak report. If Vodafone Idea unilaterally increases tariffs, it risks accelerating subscriber loss. If it doesn’t, its ARPUs remain suppressed even as it continues to lose a large number of subscribers every month. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The hunt for premium subscribers" comment="subhead" text="The hunt for premium subscribers">The hunt for premium subscribers</cmsannotation> Jio and Airtel are both on the hunt for premium subscribers – absent any tariff hikes, luring premium subscribers is the only other way to increase the average revenue per user (ARPU), a critical metric in measuring a telecom company’s performance. These premium subscribers can be of two types – those with a postpaid account, and those who consume a lot of data. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jio’s postpaid push" comment="subhead" text="Jio’s postpaid push">Jio’s postpaid push</cmsannotation> In the first case, Jio’s latest postpaid offerings give users 75-100GB of high speed 4G data, with plans starting at ₹399 per month, with ₹99 additional charge per user. “The new family postpaid plans effectively cap the customer outgo at ₹205-235 per month and provide an arbitrage for higher-end prepaid subscribers to move to family postpaid [plans] to reduce their outgo per connection,” said a report by Kotak Institutional Equities. For context, Jio’s ARPU as of the December 2022 quarter is ₹178.2. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Airtel matches Jio with unlimited 5G data" comment="subhead" text="Airtel matches Jio with unlimited 5G data">Airtel matches Jio with unlimited 5G data</cmsannotation> The other option is attracting users who consume a lot of data. After limiting its 5G users to existing allowances as per 4G plans, Airtel is now offering unlimited 5G data just like Jio. While both Airtel and Jio are not charging anything extra for 5G services yet, unlimited data is a ploy to get users hooked onto 5G speeds which have touched as much as 1.5Gbps in some cases. “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,” said a Jefferies report. Both Airtel and Jio are in a race to expand their 5G coverage – after trailing Jio for several weeks, Airtel now has 5G in over 500 cities, while <keyword id="6668253" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jio-5g" source="Orion">Jio 5G</keyword> is available in 406 cities. In sharp contrast, Vodafone Idea is yet to launch its 5G services, and since Airtel and Jio went live with 5G services in October, the telco has lost over 5.3 million subscribers. According to the analysts at Kotak, multiple state elections and the 2024 general elections could force telcos to push back tariff hikes, and also give them enough time to build out their 5G coverage across the country. However, this makes matters worse for Vodafone Idea which has the lowest ARPU of the three telcos at just ₹135. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jio’s broadband backup plan ‘disruptive’" comment="subhead" text="Jio’s broadband backup plan ‘disruptive’">Jio’s broadband backup plan ‘disruptive’</cmsannotation> Apart from its new postpaid plans and unlimited 5G data, Jio has also announced an affordable new fibre broadband plan priced at ₹198 per month, branding it as a “broadband backup plan”. However, the analysts at ICICI Securities think it could actually disrupt cable TV providers, as well as Airtel’s direct-to-home (DTH) business. “We believe the new plan is targeted at cable user who has seen significant rise in cable bills and drop in the number of channels. The new plan by Reliance Jio will offer more content (OTT + live TV) and fixed broadband data at largely pay TV prices,” said a report by ICICI Securities, adding that IPL 2023, which will be streamed for free via the JioCinema app will help boost the adoption of Jio’s ₹198 broadband plan. According to the analysts at JP Morgan, this new plan will help the company expand the total addressable market of fixed broadband market, which currently stands at just 30 million. For comparison, the cable/DTH market has 110-130 million customers, according to the ICICI Securities report. “Jio is playing offence as it pivots to a focus on premium subscribers. We expect this disruptive innovation at the bottom of the market to put pressure on Bharti,” the JP Morgan report said. For now, Vodafone Idea will have to figure out a way to stem its subscriber loss and prevent further erosion of its market share. Launch of 5G services and aggressively expanding its coverage in key circles should help the telco. It remains to be seen if it comes to fruition or not, though. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-chatgpt-4-plugins-from-math-physics-and-language-tutor-to-vacation-planner/articleshow/99036667.cms">Top ChatGPT 4 plugins: From math, physics and language tutor to vacation planner</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/rbis-mpc-could-pause-rate-hikes-in-april-to-gauge-the-impact-of-hikes-so-far-sbi-research/articleshow/99030220.cms">RBI’s MPC could pause rate hikes in April to gauge the impact of hikes so far: SBI Research</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/layoffs-coming-to-the-indian-it-sector-analysts-say-accentures-jobs-cuts-offers-a-blueprint/articleshow/98970175.cms">Layoffs coming to the Indian IT sector? Analysts say Accenture’s jobs cuts offers a ‘blueprint’</a>

Increased competition, delayed tariff hikes could effectively lead to a Jio-Airtel duopoly

<ul><li><keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> today told analysts that another round of tariff hikes is likely before the end of 2022.</li><li>The telco also needs a tariff hike boost more than its rivals Airtel and Jio do, as it struggles to retain subscribers and its current ARPU levels are much lower than those of its rivals.</li><li>The telco lost 15 million subscribers and the gap between its total and active subscribers is increasing too. </li></ul>India’s third largest telecom provider Vodafone Idea today said that another tariff hike is possible before the end of 2022 as it looks for a margin boost to improve its liquidity. In an analyst concall today, Vodafone Idea’s CEO <keyword id="5188531" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ravinder-takkar" source="Orion">Ravinder Takkar</keyword> said the “time is right to think about a further price hike”. “Tariff hike environment is right and we won’t hesitate to take leadership in hiking prices,” Takkar said. “Customers have taken November tariff hikes very well. Almost all of it has flown to our ARPU numbers. Another tariff hike is possible by the end of the year,” he added further, noting that average revenue per user or ARPU has increased consistently from ₹104 a year ago to ₹128 now. Even as it is earning more from its customers, it has lost 15 million subscribers during the same period. While its revenue grew nearly 14% to ₹10,407 crore in the first quarter as compared to last year, it posted a massive net loss of ₹7,297 crore. The gap between its total and active subscribers is also widening, suggesting that more users than before do not have an active plan. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Subscriber churn remains a big problem – Vi is betting on value added services to improve stickiness" comment="subhead" text="Subscriber churn remains a big problem – Vi is betting on value added services to improve stickiness">Subscriber churn remains a big problem – Vi is betting on value added services to improve stickiness</cmsannotation> For now, Vodafone Idea is betting on its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-partners-with-nazara-tech-to-foray-into-mobile-gaming/articleshow/90198674.cms">partnership with Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Nazara Tech for online gaming</a>, and other streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, Zee5 and others to maintain subscriber stickiness. <div type="image" title="Vodafone Idea subscribers Q1 FY22 to Q1 FY23." msid="93348841" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Vodafone Idea subscribers&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The only positive, though, is that the number of 4G subscribers have increased, from 113 million a year ago to 119 million now. Still, this is less than half of Vodafone Idea’s total subscriber base. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="93312184" title="5G services might kickoff in October but your mobile bills could rise sooner" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Consumer engagement is falling, too" comment="subhead" text="Consumer engagement is falling, too">Consumer engagement is falling, too</cmsannotation> What should also concern Vodafone Idea is consumer engagement on its platform, which has declined both in terms of voice as well as data consumption. <div type="image" title="Vodafone Idea data voice arpu Q1 FY22 to Q1 FY23." msid="93348873" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Vodafone Idea&amp;#39;s consumer engagement metrics&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="5G will likely be at a premium to 4G, but rollout unknown" comment="subhead" text="5G will likely be at a premium to 4G, but rollout unknown">5G will likely be at a premium to 4G, but rollout unknown</cmsannotation> Thanks to its liquidity concerns, Vodafone Idea’s bids in the recently-concluded <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/heres-how-much-mobile-bills-can-increase-from-5g-network-service/articleshow/93312184.cms">5G spectrum auctions</a> were 2.3x and 4.6x lower than its rivals Airtel and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-posts-a-moderate-5-increase-in-profits-in-q1-fy23-adds-10-million-new-subscribers/articleshow/93058640.cms">Reliance Jio</a>, respectively. To make matters worse, the company has not committed to any particular launch date for 5G services, yet. Its rivals Airtel and Reliance Jio are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-5g-services-could-be-launched-on-august-15/articleshow/93341992.cms">likely to launch</a> their services in this very month. Vodafone Idea’s financial metrics at a glance: <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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q1 FY23 </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q4 FY22 </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q1 FY22 </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:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Revenue </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:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,407 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:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,229 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:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹9,144 crore </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Net profit </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-₹7,297 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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-₹6,561 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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-₹7,319 crore </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:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Net margin </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:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-70% </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:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-64% </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:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-80% </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ARPU </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹128 </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹124 </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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹104 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Source: Company reports The telco also lost over $10 million a day during Q1 FY23 – largely due to finance costs. Its limited resources have forced the telco to focus investments in its core circles and reduce capex as much as possible. This is evident from the fact that Vodafone Idea has undertaken refarming 2G and 3G spectrum to 4G to minimize costs and enhance its capacities. Takkar also said he hopes 5G will be at a premium to 4G, but that would also likely mean users will get higher data allowances to make up for it. While the company underlined that the ₹4,940 crore equity infusion by its promoters shows they are confident about its prospects, it refrained from revealing any information about future fundraising plans. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype=""><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/nifty-sensex-fall-after-a-6-session-streak-amid-china-taiwan-crisis/articleshow/93341328.cms">Markets snap their six-day winning streak with a marginal fall</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-and-us-fed-policies-are-more-similar-than-you-think/articleshow/93329850.cms">RBI and US Fed policies are more similar than you think</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/heres-how-much-mobile-bills-can-increase-from-5g-network-service/articleshow/93312184.cms">5G services might kickoff in October but your mobile bills could rise sooner</a>

VI betting on tariff hike as it lost over $10 million every day in Q1 FY23

<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>

You Searched For "vodafone idea revenues" and got 13 results

Mobile recharge packs to get more expensive as telcos gear up for another round of tariff hikes: Report

Kunal Kambli

Vodafone Idea Q3 net loss widens to ₹7,990 crore, average revenue per user edges up to ₹135

Rounak Jain

Telecom companies’ Q4 revenue likely to moderate due to lack of significant tariff hikes

Rounak Jain

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

Rounak Jain

Airtel, not Jio, to gain the most from Vodafone Idea's troubles

Rounak Jain

Vodafone Idea shares hit 25% upper circuit after govt agrees to convert ₹16,133 cr dues into equity

Rounak Jain

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

Rounak Jain

Vodafone Idea’s Q2 loss widens to ₹7,596 crore

Rounak Jain

Vodafone Idea board to meet on October 21 to consider fundraising via convertible debentures

Rounak Jain

Vodafone Group plans hundreds of job cuts, biggest in 5 years: Report

IANS

Increased competition, delayed tariff hikes could effectively lead to a Jio-Airtel duopoly

Rounak Jain

VI betting on tariff hike as it lost over $10 million every day in Q1 FY23

Rounak Jain

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

Rounak Jain

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