Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Much like the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Reliance-Jio-vs-Telecom-Industry-Jios-Battle-of-Supremacy-so-Far/articleshow/53875879.cms">launch of Reliance Jio’s</a> telecom and internet services, <keyword id="2003276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio">Jio</keyword>’s newly announced ‘smartish’ feature phone too is finding its way to the middle of a controversy. This time around the debate is whether the <keyword id="4289270" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="jio-phone">Jio phone</keyword> violates the principles of Net Neutrality. At this point it’s important to mention that not all details of the new Jio Phone are out yet. However, sources in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>) say that, looking at the available details so far, the Jio phone does not violate the principles of Net Neutrality. The Net Neutrality debate saw its peek in India with Facebook's Free Basics and <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>'s Zero rating offerings both were shut down by TRAI stating they went against the principles of Net neutrality but Jio phone, as of now, seems to be in the clear. 
 The issue got triggered when India’s third largest telecom operator, Idea, recently commented on how the new Jio phone raise concerns about net neutrality, “It will not allow most of the apps which a customer prefers and the choice of apps may not work because it is forcing consumers to use an individual operator’s apps,” <keyword id="510299" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Himanshu-Kapania">Himanshu Kapania</keyword>, the managing director of Idea Cellular had said. Kapania also talked about working with handset makers to launch a new phone to counter Jio, targeting the 2G consumers in India. The company says even if the phone cannot compete with Jio’s pricing it will offer customers the freedom of choice. 
 
Telecom Analyst (doesn’t wish to be named) believes that the consumer has a choice and that nothing can be fully neutral. Consumer has other means/devices for accessing the internet. There are plenty of alternative devices available in the market which he can fall back to (India being predominantly an open market for devices, alternatives will be many). If an operator steers the consumer to its own content by offering a device, it does not seem to violate the principles of "Net Neutrality" as laid out by the TRAI.” 
 TRAI seems to agree with this. Jio has talked about how the Jio phone will come packed with entire set of Jio apps but it’s still unclear if non-Jio apps will find a place in the Jio phone. TRAI believes that if <keyword id="10926" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance">Reliance</keyword> is providing its services in its intranet then by providing their apps to the consumers, Jio is not doing anything wrong. Source also indicates that consumers will be aware about the product and they can choose not to buy it. TRAI says if Jio is not blocking any particular site then merely providing additional apps with its product do not violate the principles of Net Neutrality. TRAI will be looking into Jio Phone in detail once the company submits its tariff for the new plan/phone to TRAI. 
 
Well with the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Jio-phone-to-be-a-single-sim-feature-phone-and-existing-customers-can-shift-to-it/articleshow/59776367.cms">launch of the Jio Phone</a>, the company has managed to pique our interest but not without setting off yet another controversy. However, TRAI's Feb 8th order of 2016 prevents an operator to offer differentiated rates for accessing different content (by the operator tying up with a content player), but it has not prevented an operator from offering its own content in its intranet at a differentiated rate or even free. While we are still waiting for details that could either douse the ‘controversy’ fire or add fuel to it, it would be fair to say that the proposed phone by Jio will appeal to the predominantly voice usage customers BUT it will be extremely important to see how exactly Jio is planning to cater to consumers wanting to browse the Internet.

TRAI sources: Free Basics was a problem, Zero Rating was a problem, Jio Phone is not a problem

<keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword>, which faced <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Jio-effect-Idea-posts-net-losses-for-Q4-FY-2017/articleshow/58666958.cms">huge losses</a> in FY17 after its subscribers moved to Reliance <keyword id="2003276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jio">Jio</keyword> for free data services, hopes to recover soon. The hope has stemmed from the fact that a big chunk of its data customers has already come back after Jio started charging its services. Idea cellular MD <keyword id="510299" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Himanshu-Kapania">Himanshu Kapania</keyword> said that the rates would be stabilised in the second half of the fiscal. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Telcos-to-divide-users-into-segments-like-FMCG-companies/articleshow/58694361.cms">Telcos to divide users into segments like FMCG companies</a> "We are expecting this (revenue growth) for both industry and us. On a full year basis, we are expecting industry should be flat to slight growth and which means industry will recover from Q4 of FY17 to Q4 of next year by 15%," Kapania said. "...the losses that we made in FY17, we will be able to recover." Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Reliance-Jio-will-be-unfazed-by-Vodafone-Idea-merger-Heres-why/articleshow/57509811.cms">Reliance Jio will be unfazed by Vodafone-Idea merger. Here’s why</a> "Customers will move to a superior network and despite the new entrant adding 75 million customers, the losses by the three operators are almost insignificant and we will continue to add subscribers," he added. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Airtel-seeks-deferred-payment-and-lower-taxes-because-of-stress-from-Jio/articleshow/58629243.cms">Airtel seeks deferred payment and lower taxes because of ‘stress’ from Jio</a> Kapania expects that minutes of voice usage will grow in double digits, with the growth going up to 20-30%. This will make the industry move from double digit data growth to triple digit growth. (Image source YouTube)

Major portion of data customers have returned to Idea, says MD Himanshu Kapania

The data services in the National Capital region are already becoming costlier. India's third-largest <keyword id="47689" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Telecom-operator">telecom operator</keyword>, <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> was the first company to announce an increase in the data rates. Now the company has announced that it has witnessed growth in its <keyword id="748198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="revenue-market-share">revenue market share</keyword> (RMS) by 1.6% in Q4FY15 and 1.3% in FY15, the company said, citing telecom regulator data. The company is part of <keyword id="44373" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Aditya-Birla-Group">Aditya Birla Group</keyword> and maintained its track record of being the fastest growing operator by RMS growth in the world's fastest growing market, reported the Economic Times. 

	The telco further consolidated its position as one of the top 3 operators in India by growing at double the rate of industry growth in terms of gross revenue. 
 

	In Q4FY15, Idea witnessed a growth of 21%, whereas the industry average revenue grew at 10.5% in one year. The company showed gross revenue growth of close to 20% in FY15, as against 10.8% the total industry revenue growth - the highest amongst all pan-India operators. 
 

	"Our commitment to grow both voice and data businesses, by investing in network infrastructure and spectrum acquisition, customer experience management, and brand building, has helped us further consolidate our position in a hyper-competitive market," Himanshu Kapania, Managing Director, Idea Cellular said in the statement. 
 

	Idea Cellular serves over 160 million subscribers. 
 Apart from this, the company has recently announced a roll over plan. Under this, new <keyword id="6378791" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="80" keywordseo="3G">3G</keyword> roll over data pack will allow Idea postpaid subscribers to carry forward their unused 3G data balance to next month without any extra charges. 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Idea Cellular gain incremental market revenue

<keyword id="6354955" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kumar-Mangalam-Birla">Kumar Mangalam Birla</keyword> steps down as non-executive director, non-executive chairman of <keyword id="1553175" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea">Vodafone Idea</keyword>: Co filing. Amid an existential crisis facing the firm over Rs 50,000 crore unpaid dues towards the government, billionaire Kumar <keyword id="286113" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mangalam-Birla">Mangalam Birla</keyword> on Wednesday stepped down as the chairman of <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> <keyword id="41511" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="idea">Idea</keyword> Ltd. Birla -- who had in June offered to give away his holding in the joint venture with Britain's Vodafone to the government -- will cease to be a director and non-executive chairman of the company at the end of business hours on Wednesday, VIL said in a filing to the stock exchanges. It did not give any reason for Birla's decision. He will be replaced by Himanshu Kapania (who was earlier managing director and CEO of Birla's Idea Cellular) as the new chairman of Vodafone Idea Ltd. The Supreme Court, last month, had rejected petitions by telecom companies including Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, for rectification of alleged errors in calculation of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) related dues payable by them. The company lawyers had told the apex court that the firm is making a loss and can "go under" if the rectification is not allowed. According to official data, VIL had an AGR liability of Rs 58,254 crore, out of which it has paid Rs 7,854.37 crore while Rs 50,399.63 crore is outstanding. In the BSE filing on Wednesday evening, VIL said: "The Board of Directors of Vodafone Idea, at its meeting held today, have accepted the request of Kumar Mangalam Birla to step down as Non-Executive Director and Non Executive Chairman of the Board with effect from close of business hours on 4 August, 2021." Consequently, the board has "unanimously elected" Himanshu Kapania, currently a non-executive director and a nominee of the <keyword id="44373" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aditya-Birla-Group">Aditya Birla Group</keyword>, as the non-executive chairman. Kapania is a telecom industry veteran with 25 years of experience, including significant board experience in telecom companies globally. He has also served on the Global GSMA Board for two years and was chairman of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) for two years. The move comes just weeks after Birla offered to hand over stake in VIL to the government, in a desperate attempt to keep the company afloat. The billionaire businessman had made the offer in June in a letter to Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba. In the letter, Birla, who holds around 27 per cent stake in VIL, said investors are not willing to invest in the company in the absence of clarity on AGR liability, adequate moratorium on spectrum payments and most importantly floor pricing regime above the cost of service. Without immediate active support from the government on the three issues by July, the financial situation of VIL will come to an "irretrievable point of collapse", Birla said in the letter dated June 7. "It is with a sense of duty towards the 27 crore Indians connected by VIL, I am more than willing to hand over my stake in the company to any entity- public sector/government /domestic financial entity or any other that the government may consider worthy of keeping the company as a going concern," Birla had said in the letter. In September 2020, VIL had received approval from its board to raise up to Rs 25,000 crore. However, the company has not been able to raise the funds so far. According to Birla's letter, VIL has not yet approached any Chinese investors. Foreign investors, mostly non-Chinese, are hesitating in making investment in the company for understandable reasons, he wrote. VIL's gross debt, excluding lease liabilities, stood at Rs 1,80,310 crore as of March 31, 2021. The amount included deferred spectrum payment obligations of Rs 96,270 crore and debt from banks and financial institutions of Rs 23,080 crore, apart from the AGR liability. Eariler, Vodafone Idea Ltd had also approached the government to seek a one-year moratorium on payment of spectrum instalment of over Rs 8,200 crore, due in April 2022. VIL, in a letter to the telecom secretary on June 25, 2021, had said it will be "unable to pay the instalment of Rs 8,292 crore due on April 9, 2022" due to "cash being used for payment of AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue) dues and the inability of the operations to generate the required cash in a predatory pricing situation" SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-is-now-using-chrome-as-another-security-layer-for-account-sign-ins/articleshow/84975356.cms">Google is now using Chrome as an added security layer for account sign-ins</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-check-allotment-status-of-glenmark-life-sciences-ipo/articleshow/84978486.cms">Glenmark Life Sciences IPO: How to check allotment status, listing date and more</a>

Kumar Mangalam Birla steps down as non-executive director, non-executive chairman of Vodafone Idea

<keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> said it will launch a phone to counter <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>Phone, raising net neutrality concerns about Reliance Jio's 4G phones. Idea said JioPhone will allow the apps of the operator's choice only. "One of the concerns is about net neutrality. It will not allow most of the apps which a customer prefers and the choice of apps may not work because it is forcing consumers to use an individual operator's apps," Himanshu Kapania, the managing director of Idea Cellular Limited, the third largest telco operator, said in an analyst call. Kapania further said it remains to be seen as to how the proposed Jio phone, which does not have features like a smartphone, serves those wanting to browse the Internet. Meanwhile, he said Idea is working with mobilephone manufacturers to launch its own, slightly expensive phone This new handset will give all the choices to a customer, including to choose the operator of his/her choice, popular applications like <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword>, Facebook or Whatsapp, Kapania stressed.

Idea to launch own handset to counter Reliance JioPhone

Looks like <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> and Idea are in a hurry to get their <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/idea-to-merge-with-vodafone-india-time-to-say-hello-to-indias-biggest-telco/articleshow/57728557.cms">merger</a> formalities completed soon. This is probably the reason why Vittorio Colao (<keyword id="137231" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-group">Vodafone Group</keyword> CEO) and Kumar Mangalam Birla (chairman of the <keyword id="44373" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aditya-Birla-Group">Aditya Birla Group</keyword>) are believed to have met PM Modi. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/voda-idea-merger-expected-to-benefit-telecom-industry-say-experts/articleshow/57750315.cms">Voda-Idea merger expected to benefit telecom industry, say experts</a> 
 
In the meeting that lasted 45 minutes approx, the heads of both groups are believed to have informed the PM about the details and reasons behind the merger. They also sought help from the government regarding faster clearances so that the deal can be concluded rapidly. 
 
Along with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vodafone-ceo-vittorio-colao-assures-employee-job-safety-post-vodafone-idea-merger/articleshow/57733717.cms">Colao</a> and Birla, the meeting also saw <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/vodafoneindia-just-partnered-with-amazon-prime-video/articleshow/57717680.cms">Vodafone India</a> MD Sunil Sood, company director P Balaji, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/idea-vodafone-merger-dips-idea-stocks-by-15/articleshow/57729612.cms">Idea Cellular</a> MD Himanshu Kapania, sources told ET. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/telecom-experts-think-jio-could-still-beat-voda-idea-in-short-term/articleshow/57768335.cms">Telecom experts think Jio could still beat Voda-Idea in short term</a> 
 
The merger between Vodafone and Idea will lead to the creation of India’s biggest telecom company, displacing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/airtel-speeds-past-jio-and-others-as-indias-fastest-network/articleshow/57429981.cms">Bharti Airtel</a> from its position that it has held for 15 years. 
 
(Image source: Bloomberg Quint)

Idea and Vodafone heads met Modi and sought speedy clearances for merger

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=telecom+operators">Telecom operators</a> have said they spend quite a lot on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=spectrum">spectrum</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=network">network</a>, and low expenditure on quality equipment is not the reason for call drops. They added that Rs. 1.34 lakh crores were invested during the 2014-2015 fiscal. 
 
Telcos have committed Rs 110,000 crores for spectrum and spent another Rs 24,000 crores on network equipment in the 2014-15 fiscal. They have been demanding the Centre to allow government premises and access to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=defence">defence</a> and cantonment areas to deploy mobile towers to overcome call drops. 
 "<keyword id="6354776" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Telecom">Telecom</keyword> operators invested 73% of their revenues as compared to nearly 13% global average on spectrum and networks last year and therefore it's wrong to presume that call drops happen due to low investment by telcos," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Idea+Cellular">Idea Cellular</a> CEO and Managing Director Himanshu Kapania said. 
 
"Despite world's lowest voice and data tariff in India, the telecom industry was able to made huge investments in the last 20 years and the overall sector contributes 3.5% to the country's GDP and facilitates 7.3 lakh direct jobs," Kapania added. 
 Industry analysts say that network congestion is one of the biggest hurdles to seamless <keyword id="117358" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="connectivity">connectivity</keyword>. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Call drops are here to stay probably

Indian telcos have committed to invest around Rs 12,000 Crores in the next three months to improve networks which should help check the call drop issue in the country, <keyword id="6354776" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Telecom">telecom</keyword> secretary <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=JS+Deepak&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">JS Deepak</a> has said. 
 
"The mobile phone operators have promised to add 60,000 new cell sites where they need to improve their quality of service," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=JS+Deepak&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Deepak</a> told reporters on Friday. 
 
"The government believes in the telecom sector. The quality of service must improve and industry has responsibility," he said. Telecom operators present at the meeting included <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bharti+Airtel&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Bharti Airtel</a> CEO (India, South Asia) Gopal Vittal, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Vodafone+India&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Vodafone India</a> CEO Sunil Sood, Idea Cellular Managing Director Himanshu Kapania and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Reliance+Jio&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Reliance Jio</a> Infocomm MD Sanjay Mashruwala. 
 
"We discussed with the telecom secretary how we plan to address the issue and the concerns of the sector," Rajan Mathews, director general of industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), said after the meet. 
 The meeting comes at a time when ties between the telcos and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="TRAI">Trai</keyword>) have reached a low with both parties adopting aggressive stance against one another on several issues. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Telcos
will spend Rs. 12,000 Crores in next three months to tackle call drop

After <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=reliance+jio">Reliance Jio Infocomm</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bharti+airtel">Bharti Airtel</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=vodafone">Vodafone</a> India, <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> also hopped on the bandwagon and will roll out 4G services next year in 2016. 
 
Idea chief executive Himanshu Kapania last week announced that the company was striving to deploy <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=4G">4G services</a> within the first half of 2016. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Idea">Idea Cellular</a> has advanced its 4G plans by a year and the company plans to offer 4G in 10 service areas. 
 
Kapania said that the technology ecosystem evolved faster than the company had anticipated. 
 
"We are also positively surprised at the speed of availability of a wide range of affordable 4G smartphones and devices. Therefore, post careful analysis of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=LTE">LTE</a> technology, maturity and consumer demand surge across markets like China, Indonesia and other similar markets, Idea has decided to initiate necessary steps culminating into launch of Idea's own 4G services on LTE platform from calendar year 2016 in a phased manner,” the Idea chief executive said. 
 
Reportedly, Idea's capex plan has surged six-fold from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 6,000-6,500 crore this fiscal year for the 4G play. 
 
Idea said its days of incremental capital expenditure were a thing of the past. 
 
"We maintain a negative stance on the company due to increased capex needs for supporting robust data growth and the threat of Reliance Jio, which could pressure tariffs, both on voice and data, resulting in muted revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) growth," Vivekanand Subbaraman of HDFC Securities told Economic Times. 
 
Meanwhile, Idea Cellular feels vulnerable to Reliance Jio's competitive assault but still says its customers can still afford some lag in new technology adoption.

Idea Cellular to soon follow Airtel and Rel Jio in offering 4G services

If you’re an Idea Cellular subscriber in NCR, you’ll pay. The company has raised mobile data rates by up to 100 per cent for its pre-paid customers. It’s the first telecom to raise its tariff after recent spectrum auction in March. 
 
The company has doubled the tariff for some 2G plans, and tripled 3G rates. 
 
According to media reports Idea MD and CEO Himanshu Kapania had said hinted post spectrum action that a data tariff price hike could occur. 
 
The company has changed most of the 2G and 3G recharge vouchers. As per the new rates subscribers would get 1.5 GB of 2G as against 3 GB for Rs. 255 earlier and 3 GB as against 4 GB for Rs. 755. 
 
The 1 GB 3G pack will now come with a 28 days validity of 28 days, but will cost Rs. 295 as against Rs 249. 1 GB of 2G would now set you back for Rs. 195 as against Rs 175 earlier, but will come with 28 days validity. 
 
The company has also reduced validity of some other packs. 
 
Experts predict an overall increase in the Idea’s data tariffs in other circles too. 
 
The new rates came into effect from June 3. 
 
(Image credit: Indiatimes)

Idea ups mobile data rates
in NCR by up to 100%

It was one of the most important meetings for the telecom industry where CEOs of top telecom companies in the country met with the newly appointed <keyword id="46149" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Telecom-minister">Telecom Minister</keyword>, <keyword id="6357016" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manoj-Sinha">Manoj Sinha</keyword>. Hold on, we will tell you what was discussed in the meeting but before that see what the top CEOs were served. 
 
Yes, like in all meetings that the CEOs attend all over the world there are refreshments and there were some in this meeting too. Only difference is it was widely different from the usual hors d’oeuvre of the corporate world. Gopal Vittal of Airtel, Sunil Sood of Vodafone, Himanshu Kapania of Idea along with other telecom CEOs were part of this very crucial meeting but first here’s what they were served. A) Cheap pineapple pastry B) Coleslaw Sandwich wrapped in cellophane sheet, C) Bengal gram, complete with plastic spoons and ketchup in sachets. Now wouldn’t it be a treat to see India’s top CEOs teething open their ketchup packets. 
 
 
 
The corporate world is light-years ahead on the kind of refreshments served in their meetings but situation in these sarkari offices still look like they were serving refreshments at a six year olds birthday party... in the 60s. In the two hour long meeting, the CEOs had no choice but to nibble on the refreshments (if we can call it that) some to satiate their hunger and some just plain out of respect. Most of the CEOs stuck to the Bengal gram, few braved the pastry but no one touched the sandwich, probably too much work to free it from the clutches of the cellophane bags that they came wrapped in. 
 
 
 
Coming to the meeting, it was an extremely crucial meeting between the new telecom minister, telecom department officials and the telecom CEOs. Telecom operators voiced their concern on all the major issues in the sector like telecom being a highly taxed sector, payment method for upcoming spectrum auction, e-KYC norms for acquisition of subscribers and of course call drops. Issue of call drops was discussed in a big way as telecom operators on June 10th this year had committed to setting up 60,000 towers in 100 days in order to deal with the issue of call drops. The new telecom minister said out of the total 60,000 towers, so far telcos have installed 48,000 towers. Telecom minister said “Targets given to the telcos on call drops progress is satisfactory but telcos will have to put more efforts to make the consumers feel the progress made.” The telecom operators also discussed many policy developments like spectrum sharing and trading with the minister. 
 
 
 
Sounds like a very important meeting, so we got on it full swing and decided to get a chef’s opinion in, Chef Saby of Lavaash by Saby says “Corporate world is very particular about the refreshments served during the meetings as they speak volumes about the company. Refreshments vary from bite size Granola with walnuts and cranberries to nut crusted fresh palm fruit. And sandwiches and pastries are a big no. Fresh fruit juices will have to be a part of the spread. Basically the idea is to keep it healthy as these meetings can be very stressful.” 
 
While we are sure this particular meeting was stressful but the snacks were far from healthy. And all these extremely key issues in the industry were discussed over pineapple pastries and sandwiches which were far from the bite size pops these CEOs are used to. Just saying.

This is what CEOs of Airtel, Vodafone and Idea were served at a meeting with the telecom minister

NEW DELHI: <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> could raise basic call rates for the first time in five years as it battles increasing input costs, a move that would make it the second major telco to do so after <keyword id="46907" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Reliance-communications">Reliance Communications</keyword> raised them for prepaid users last month. 
 
On the back of a robust earnings performance by Bharti in the March quarter, this would strengthen the notion that the telecom industry is on firmer financial footing after a damaging tariff war in 2009-11. 
 
Analysts, however, said that while India's largest telco needs to raise call tariffs to improve its financial health, the scope of the increase could be limited as its two top rivals - No. 3 Idea Cellular and No. 2 Vodafone India - have clearly said they won't touch the basic rate, or the call rate without discounts, and are happy just cutting freebies offered to users. 
 "The fact is that these levels of voice pricing are absolutely unsustainable" with inputs costs going up, including those for rolling out <keyword id="50752" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Networks">networks</keyword>, optical fibre, spectrum and diesel, Bharti Airtel's CEO for India and South Asia Gopal Vittal told reporters at a press conference. Diesel is needed to run generators at mobile tower sites. 
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
"We have hitherto avoided taking headline tariffs (up) but at some point there may be an opportunity to raise headline tariffs," he said, adding however that the priority for the company remained reducing discounted minutes. 
 
Phone bills for postpaid users typically comprise basic call charges, also called headline rates, on which discounts such as free minutes are given to users based on their tariff plans. Prepaid users, who still make up over 95% of the mobile phone user base, typically get discount vouchers for a specific time period. 
 
By decreasing validity on prepaid vouchers, carriers force customers to use up talk time faster. By increasing headline voice tariffs, the minimum charge for a call paid by both prepaid and postpaid customers will rise. 
 
Higher rates allow operators to increase cash flow, thus allowing investments into improving networks and expanding operations. 
 
Several telcos have been quietly cutting discounts over the past three or four quarters, but have been leaving the basic rate untouched for fear of losing subscribers to competitors or smaller operators that offer cheaper tariff plans. However, the fourth-ranked Reliance Communications raised its headline tariffs in mid-April for prepaid customers by up to 20%, although it left postpaid headline rates untouched. 
 
Vittal's comments came a day after India's largest mobile phone company announced strong fourth-quarter results. Net profit jumped 89% from a year earlier on a 13.5% growth in revenue. 
 
While key parameters such as average revenue per user grew, the average realised rate from calls has been largely flat in the past two quarters, a trend seen in the Idea results as well, leaving some worried. 
<div style="page-break-after: always;">
	&#xa0;</div>
Analysts explained that while telcos, especially the major players, had been cutting discounts in circles where they are the leaders or the No. 2, they are loath to do the same, or have in fact given additional discounts, in areas where they aren't strong in a bid to attract or retain subscribers. Thus, the net effect on overall realised rates has been somewhat neutral to slightly lower in recent times. 
 
Realised rate is what a telco actually gets after all discounts and associated costs. 
 
Idea cut discounts last year, but this year in its weaker circles has once again leveraged pricing to acquire customers, CEO Himanshu Kapania said, due to which the overall realised rate was down by 2.5% across the country. 
 
"Over time we expect to fix that," he said, but ruled out raising basic rates. 
 
A Mumbai-based analyst said Bharti will be keeping a close eye on moves by Idea and Vodafone in the event of any move on headline rates. 
 
Vodafone declined comment but has said previously that it will work on discounts, without touching basic rates. 
 
To be sure, given that the industry seems to have put the tariff war behind it and is stabilising, the top telcos will eventually want to go ahead with increasing headline tariffs later this year, analysts said. 
 
The situation could change dramatically if Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm enters the industry with a disruptive pricing offer. It's expected to launch voice and data services later this year. 
 
As things stand, "It's more of a do or die situation (for carriers) because this is the only industry which has seen the continuous downward movement of tariffs to a level that a per-minute call is cheaper than a glass of water," said Prashant Singhal, national telecom leader at Ernst &amp; Young. 
 
He expects headline tariffs to be higher by 15-20% by May 2015, though the increase would be gradual. "If headline tariffs are close to 60 paise per minute, the realised rate is around 30 paise, which is not sustainable," given the rising cost of operations. 
 
Bharti's strategy going forward is clear. It will focus on stripping out low revenue generating users, bringing in more postpaid customers who generate higher revenue and improve voice realisations, apart from investing in better data networks and driving cost efficiency, Vittal said. 
 
"With more rational competition, fewer competitors and rising data volume, I see headline tariffs going up marginally. I don't want to give a timeline to it but I don't see a reason why companies need to wait for a couple of quarters (to raise headline tariffs)," said Jaideep Ghosh, head of telecoms practice at KPMG. 
 Uninor, the Indian unit of Norway's <keyword id="6359476" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Telenor">Telenor</keyword>, said it will take note of any changes in industry tariffs and take appropriate steps if needed. 
 <keyword id="6365707" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="UBS">UBS</keyword> believes Bharti Airtel's stock could be re-rated significantly over the next 12 months if mobile voice rates continue to go up, data consumption and revenue rises thanks to cheaper smartphones and the "regulatory outlook continues to improve".

You Searched For "Himanshu Kapania" and got 12 results

TRAI sources: Free Basics was a problem, Zero Rating was a problem, Jio Phone is not a problem

Nazia Bijal

Major portion of data customers have returned to Idea, says MD Himanshu Kapania

BI India Bureau

Idea Cellular gain incremental market revenue

Tech Radar India Bureau

Kumar Mangalam Birla steps down as non-executive director, non-executive chairman of Vodafone Idea

PTI

Idea to launch own handset to counter Reliance JioPhone

BI India Bureau

Idea and Vodafone heads met Modi and sought speedy clearances for merger

BI India Bureau

Call drops are here to stay probably

BI India Bureau

Telcos will spend Rs. 12,000 Crores in next three months to tackle call drop

BI India Bureau

Idea Cellular to soon follow Airtel and Rel Jio in offering 4G services

BI India Bureau

Idea ups mobile data rates in NCR by up to 100%

BI India Bureau

This is what CEOs of Airtel, Vodafone and Idea were served at a meeting with the telecom minister

Nazia Bijal

Bharti Airtel To Look At Raising Headline Call Rates

Economic Times

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides