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

<keyword id="363206" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-Africa" source="Orion">Airtel Africa</keyword> has reported a revenue growth of 20.6 per cent for the year FY22, to $4,714 million, and 17.8 per cent for Q4FY22. <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> Africa is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries primarily in East Africa and Central and West Africa. Constant currency underlying revenue grew 23.3 per cent for the year and 19.1 per cent in Q4. Constant currency underlying revenue growth was strong in all regions -- Nigeria up 27.7 per cent, East Africa up 22.7 per cent and Francophone Africa up 17.2 per cent and across all key services, with revenue in voice up 15.4 per cent, Data up 34.6 per cent and Mobile Money up 34.9 per cent. Further, profit after tax grew by 82.0 per cent to $755 million. The Board recommended a final dividend of 3 cents per share, making total dividends at 5 cents per share for the entire fiscal. Segun Ogunsanya, Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer, said: "This is another strong set of results for Airtel Africa, demonstrating our solid execution as we continue to enrich the lives of a growing number of people through leveraging the sizeable opportunity to promote digital and financial inclusion across our markets." The company has delivered strong double-digit growth in revenues across all our regions and all our key services, with improving margins driven by strong cost control, and expanding cash generation which is enabling it to continue to invest in it's network and services and expand distribution, as well as strengthening balance sheet and increasing returns to shareholders. "We are connecting more customers in new and existing coverage areas and driving usage levels and ARPUs to new highs. We have successfully executed on a number of strategic initiatives in the year, with tower sales completed in four countries, $550m of minority investments secured for our mobile money business and a successful buyout of minorities in our Nigerian operation." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-results-q4-fy22-profit-revenue-subscriber-growth/articleshow/91374478.cms">Reliance Jio reports its strongest profit growth in five quarters as it offloads millions of low quality subscribers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/foreign-investors-have-pulled-out-1-5-lakh-crore-from-the-indian-markets-in-2022-so-far-heres-why/articleshow/91485411.cms">Foreign investors have pulled out ₹1.5 lakh crore from the Indian markets in 2022 so far — here's why</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/what-is-the-impact-of-new-vpn-guidelines-on-users-and-vpn-providers/articleshow/91468069.cms">Indian government's VPN guidelines will impact over 270 million users as VPN providers have no option but to leave the country</a>

Airtel Africa posts double-digit revenue growth and 82% surge in net profit on the back strong cost control and increased usage levels

<ul><li>Analysts are bullish on the Airtel stock, expecting it to deliver returns of up to 68% in the next one year. </li><li>The bullish sentiment exists even though the <keyword id="4792703" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel-share-price">Airtel share price</keyword> has taken a beating since July, falling by over 23%. </li><li>The post-lockdown recovery led by workers returning to cities, the trend towards digital and long-term recharges are amongst the factors cited by analysts in their positive outlook. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/the-agr-verdict-could-lead-to-a-reliance-jio-and-airtel-duopoly-in-the-indian-telecom-sector/articleshow/77883407.cms">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a> </li></ul>Analysts expect Bharti Airtel to improve its average revenue per user (ARPU) and revenue growth as India continues to ease COVID-19 restrictions in phases. The post-lockdown recovery has led to analysts being bullish on the Airtel stock, with an estimated upside of nearly 68%. The Airtel stock has taken a beating over the last three months. Factors like promoters selling a part of their stake, MSCI rebalancing, and the missing price hike are amongst the factors which pulled the share price down. <div type="image" title="Airtel share price" msid="78871636" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Airtel share price&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> In its report dated October 22, Citi Research stated that the pessimism was overdone and identified three potential catalysts that could send the Airtel share price rocketing to ₹690 in the next 90 days. These factors include market share gains or tariff hikes, recovery in new 4G subscribers, and new digital plans in the near future. ICICI Securities noted that Airtel’s performance in terms of subscriber additions is ‘underappreciated’. According to its forecast, Airtel added 4 million subscribers, while the telecom industry lost 2.1 million active subscribers. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="78222570" title="Airtel seems to be sticking to its strengths while its shareholders want Jio-like fireworks" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Post-lockdown recovery to help Airtel weather Q2’s seasonal challenges Axis Capital noted that despite the second quarter being seasonally weak for the telecom industry, the post-lockdown recovery is likely to help telcos post moderate growth. The firm ascertained this to four factors: <ol><li>Pickup in recharges as people return to cities. </li><li>More people were stationed in cities in this quarter when compared to the same period last year. </li><li>Digital recharges are gaining momentum. </li><li>Long-term recharges are becoming increasingly popular. </li></ol>Q2FY21 Earnings Estimates <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1.4967375pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Brokerages on Bharti Airtel </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1.4967375pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Estimated EBITDA </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1.4967375pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Estimated Revenue </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 1.4967375pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#c0c0c0;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Axis Capital </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 1.4967375pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#c0c0c0;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+3.4% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 1.4967375pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#c0c0c0;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+2.5% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIFL Securities </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+1.9% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+1.2% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#c0c0c0;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">B&amp;K Securities </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#c0c0c0;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+5.8% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.9978225000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#c0c0c0;padding:5pt 2pt 5pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+4.6% </td></tr></tbody></table> Note: EBITDA and Revenue for Q2 FY21 compared with Q1 FY21. ‘Tariff no barrier’ Other analysts suggest that even in the absence of tariff hikes, Airtel will likely outperform. “Even in case of no hike, Bharti’s superior network and rising ARPU premium will propel market share gains, creating long-term value,” Edelweiss Research said in its report dated October 23. “A delay in tariff hikes and/or in VI’s capital raise should imply continued RMS gains for Bharti,” said Citi Research, noting that Airtel will likely benefit even if tariff hikes are delayed. Analysts bullish on Airtel, give it a ‘outperform’ rating Several major analysts are bullish on Airtel with a ‘BUY’ recommendation. The maximum upside is as high as 68% compared to the market price of ₹434.05 as of October 26, 2020. <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:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Brokerage firm </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;">Target Price </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;">Upside </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;">Recommendation </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;">B&amp;K Securities </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;">₹725 </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;">68% </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;">BUY </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;">Citi Research </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;">₹690 </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;">60% </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;">BUY </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;">Motilal Oswal </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;">₹650 </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;">51% </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;">BUY </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;">Bernstein Research </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;">₹600 </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;">39% </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;">BUY </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;">Edelweiss Research </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;">₹589 </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;">37% </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;">BUY </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;">IIFL Securities </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;">₹577 </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;">34% </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;">BUY </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;">Axis Capital </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;">Not available </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;">&gt;15% </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;">BUY </td></tr></tbody></table> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-africa-q2-net-profit-slumps-9-amid-coronavirus-woes/articleshow/78827146.cms">Airtel Africa Q2 net profit slumps 9% amid coronavirus woes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-seems-to-be-sticking-to-its-strengths-while-its-shareholders-want-jio-like-fireworks/articleshow/78222570.cms">Airtel seems to be sticking to its strengths while its shareholders want Jio-like fireworks</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/the-agr-verdict-could-lead-to-a-reliance-jio-and-airtel-duopoly-in-the-indian-telecom-sector/articleshow/77883407.cms">The AGR verdict could lead to a Reliance Jio and Airtel duopoly in the Indian telecom sector</a>

Airtel poised to post improved ARPU and revenue growth – analysts remain bullish on the stock

<ul><li>Airtel beat analyst expectations, reporting a revenue growth of 7% in the September quarter when compared to June. </li><li>Airtel’s revenue stood at ₹25,785 crore, while its losses came down to ₹763 crore from ₹15,933 crore in the previous quarter. </li><li>It also expanded its EBITDA margins to 46%, up by 366 basis points year-on-year. </li><li>Airtel also posted a major increase in its average revenue per user (ARPU), which now stands at ₹162. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/google-pay-has-a-solid-lead-over-phonepe-paytm-and-amazon-pay-in-india-but-its-biggest-challenge-is-yet-to-come/articleshow/76542701.cms">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a> </li></ul>Telecom major Airtel announced a revenue growth of 7% in the quarter ended September 2020, beating analyst expectations. The growth in revenue was led by an increase in the revenue generated from Airtel’s mobile services in both the Indian as well as African markets. According to analysts, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-second-quarter-earnings-preview-q2-2020/articleshow/78871621.cms">Airtel was expected</a> to report a growth of up to 4.6% in revenue. However, the telco reported revenue of ₹25,785 crore in the September quarter, as opposed to ₹23,939 crore in the June quarter. In the same period last year, Airtel reported ₹21,131 crore revenue, recording a healthy growth of 18% this year. Airtel’s ARPU gets a major boost Airtel’s average revenue per user (ARPU) increased to ₹162, which is an increase of 21% over ARPU of ₹128 in the same period last year. The telco also posted a healthy data usage per subscriber of 16GB per month. Its 4G data customers stood at 152.7 million, up by 14.4 million in this quarter. Ballooning losses now under control In addition to improving its revenue and operating profit growth, Airtel also brought its ballooning losses under control. For the September quarter, Airtel posted a net loss of ₹763 crore, which is a significant reduction from the ₹15,933 crore it posted in the previous quarter. In the same period last year, Airtel reported a net loss of ₹23,045 crore. Airtel’s operating margins soar Airtel’s EBITDA performance was also markedly better than analyst expectations. While analysts estimated a jump of up to 5.8%, Airtel reported an increase of 8% when compared to the June quarter. On a year-on-year basis, Airtel’s EBITDA jumped by 22%. EBITDA stands for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization. It is a measure of a company’s short-term operating profitability. Airtel’s EBITDA margins stood at 46%, up by 366 basis points (bps) year-on-year. One hundred bps make up 1%. Mobile services continue to be Airtel’s revenue drivers Despite its efforts to expand its range of offerings, Airtel remains a mobile service provider at its core. This is reflected in its earnings, driven primarily by mobile services. Out of the ₹25,785 crore revenue, mobile services contributed ₹21,000 crore, which is over 80% of the total earnings. Of this, the Indian market contributed 66%, with the rest coming from the African market. Overall, the mobile services business grew by 8% compared to the June quarter, while the tower business grew by 7%. The Digital TV services business recorded a meagre growth of 1%. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-forays-into-cloud-communications-market-in-india/articleshow/78870836.cms">Airtel forays into cloud communications market in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-africa-q2-net-profit-slumps-9-amid-coronavirus-woes/articleshow/78827146.cms">Airtel Africa Q2 net profit slumps 9% amid coronavirus woes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/airtel-partners-with-aakash-institute-to-bring-medical-and-engineering-education-content-to-its-dth-platform/articleshow/78640408.cms">Airtel partners with Aakash Institute to bring medical and engineering education content to its DTH platform</a>

Bharti Airtel loss narrows, revenue beats analyst estimates – ARPU rises to ₹162

<ul><li>At 8:45 am, SGX Nifty was up by 40 points, or 0.29%.</li><li>Here’s a list of stocks to watch for in trade today.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a></li></ul>Indian stock markets could extend their gains on Thursday after the Nifty regained the 13,600 level on Wednesday. At 8:45 am, SGX Nifty was up by 40 points, or 0.29%, suggesting that the Indian stock exchanges could have a positive start to the day. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/us-stocks-gain-as-pelosi-pressures-republicans-to-pass-2000-stimulus-checks/articleshow/79931994.cms">US stocks had a mixed response</a> to the Trump administration’s proposal to increase stimulus relief cheques from $600 to $2,000. The Dow Jones closed up by 0.38%, while S&amp;P 500 was barely in the green, up by 0.07%. These are the stocks to watch out for during the trading session today: <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Mrs Bectors Food Specialties" comment="subhead" text="Mrs Bectors Food Specialties"><keyword id="6797647" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mrs-bectors">Mrs Bectors</keyword> Food Specialties</cmsannotation> After breaking all records of initial public offerings (IPO) this year, Mrs Bectors Food Specialties is all set to debut on the stock exchanges today. The final issue price is fixed at ₹288 per share, and it was oversubscribed by 198 times in total. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Reliance Industries" comment="subhead" text="Reliance Industries">Reliance Industries</cmsannotation> Reliance Industries’ telecom arm Jio added 2.23 million subscribers in October, picking up the slack when compared to its performance in the month before – it added only 1.46 million subscribers during September. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Bharti Airtel" comment="subhead" text="Bharti Airtel"><keyword id="6354287" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharti-airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword></cmsannotation> Airtel continued to outperform Reliance Jio, adding 3.7 million subscribers in October as compared to 3.78 million in September. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Vodafone Idea" comment="subhead" text="Vodafone Idea"><keyword id="1553175" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea">Vodafone Idea</keyword></cmsannotation> Vodafone Idea’s troubles continue to mount as it continued to hemorrhage subscribers in October – it lost 2.66 million subscribers in October as compared to 4.65 million in September. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="IL&amp;FS" comment="subhead" text="IL&amp;FS">IL&amp;FS</cmsannotation> The beleaguered Infrastructure Leasing &amp; Financial Services has reached an agreement to sell its Chinese road asset worth ₹2,074 crore, helping it resolve ₹2,500 crore worth of debt. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="InterGlobe Aviation" comment="subhead" text="InterGlobe Aviation"><keyword id="2351966" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="InterGlobe-Aviation">InterGlobe Aviation</keyword></cmsannotation> InterGlobe Aviation’s <keyword id="6354706" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IndiGo">IndiGo</keyword> may start rehiring slowly in the next three months as capacity rebuilds. The company’s CEO Ronojoy Dutta said “Doom and gloom is off the table and we are recovering pretty nicely, especially domestically,” in an interview with Bloomberg Television. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Future Group" comment="subhead" text="Future Group">Future Group</cmsannotation> The beleaguered retail giant’s lenders have agreed to restructure loans under the Reserve Bank of India’s scheme at a time when its deal with Reliance Industries remains entangled in a legal dispute with Amazon. However, in a <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachLive/df0d2835-5bf7-4592-b5d2-2141ffba6fa8.pdf">statement to the bourses</a>, Future Retail said that the Delhi High Court verdict is a green light for the deal with Ambani-owned retail giant and that it will follow the direction of the Indian court, not the Singapore court which had sought to stop the deal process from proceeding further. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Deepak Nitrite" comment="subhead" text="Deepak Nitrite"><keyword id="222918" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deepak-Nitrite">Deepak Nitrite</keyword></cmsannotation> The Indian government extended anti-dumping duty on phenol imports from South Africa for 5 years. Deepak Nitrite has the largest phenol plant in the country. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jubilant FoodWorks" comment="subhead" text="Jubilant FoodWorks"><keyword id="95677" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jubilant-FoodWorks">Jubilant FoodWorks</keyword></cmsannotation> The Maharashtra government has agreed to reduce excise license charges for restaurants by up to 50%, in addition to waiving off the 15% hike in excise renewal fee for the current financial year ending March 2021. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/us-stocks-gain-as-president-trump-asks-for-2000-stimulus-checks/articleshow/79926907.cms">US stocks gain as President Trump asks for $2,000 stimulus checks</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/theres-good-chance-a-santa-claus-rally-will-drive-the-stock-market-higher-into-year-end-lpl-says/articleshow/79931931.cms">There's good chance a 'Santa Claus rally' will drive the stock market higher into year-end, LPL says</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/heres-the-main-reason-why-apple-wants-to-get-into-the-low-profit-car-business-according-to-goldman-sachs/articleshow/79928664.cms">Here's the main reason why Apple wants to get into the low-profit car business, according to Goldman Sachs</a>

Top stocks to watch – Mrs Bectors, RIL, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, IL&FS, InterGlobe Aviation, Future Group, Deepak Nitrite, Jubilant FoodWorks, and others

In order to boost its data revenue, telecom giant <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> today rolled out its first pan-Africa customised 3G smartphone to lure users who love accessing Internet using their handsets. The device has been priced at $53, a PTI report revealed. 
 "As <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>, we are focused on migrating, existing and new customers from the traditional feature phones to <keyword id="6355645" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="android">android</keyword> smartphones to take advantage of Airtel's 3G networks. We anticipate high uptake levels within the first six months of operations," the news agency quoted Christian de Faria, Airtel Africa CEO, as saying. 
 Looking at the specification, the handset runs on the <keyword id="1853424" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Android-KitKat">Android KitKat</keyword> platform. It has been equipped with a memory of 4GB ROM and 512MB RAM, with a 32GB external memory capacity. The crucial part of any phone is its battery, and this new device from Airtel has a battery life of 1300mAh. This smartphone, which has a qualcomm dual core Central Processing Unit (CPU), has front and rear 3 mega pixel cameras, the PTI report said. 
 
Currently, the handset is available in the markets of Seychelles, Uganda and Burkina Faso. As per the statement issued by the company, this would also be launched in 14 other Airtel Operating Countries over the next few weeks. 
 
Bharti Airtel is driving the new smartphone campaign to boost data adoption across Sub-Saharan Africa. The statement further added that the region is currently witnessing one of the strongest growths in the usage of mobile data across the globe. 
 
With a presence across 17 markets, Airtel, at present, has the widest 3G network in the continent. 
Image: wikimedia

Airtel rolls out pan-African smartphone to boost 3G business

<ul><li>According to the report, Google is looking to acquire a stake of 5% in <keyword id="1553175" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea">Vodafone Idea</keyword>.</li><li>The news comes after Facebook picked up a 9.99% stake in leading telecom operator Reliance Jio for $5.7 billion.</li><li>Google’s interest in Vodafone Idea could be an after-thought, after it reportedly missed out on the Jio deal to Facebook.</li></ul>Shares of Vodafone Idea have surged by more than 30% on May 29 after reports suggested Google is exploring a stake purchase in struggling telecom operator. The move comes after Facebook picked up a 9.99% stake in Reliance Jio, India’s leading telecom operator. According to a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/3f763918-d0b1-4a02-a581-e241753c75eb">report</a> by Financial Times, Google could pick up a 5% stake in Vodafone Idea. The report also adds that the talks are still in a “very early stage”, so the details of the deal could change. The report further adds that Google is also in talks to acquire a stake in Reliance Jio, and that the talks are still ongoing. However, since <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/why-facebook-owner-mark-zuckerberg-wants-stake-in-mukesh-ambani-owned-reliance-jio/articleshow/74803994.cms">Facebook has already joined Jio</a>, it might make sense for Google to pick up a stake in Vodafone Idea, which is the second largest telco in the country by number of subscribers. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="74964136" title="A new research report says Vodafone Idea has to increase tariff by 39% to survive – and that will be a bounty for Reliance Jio and Airtel" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[<div class="flourish-embed flourish-chart" data-src="visualisation/2615319" data-url="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/2615319/embed"></div>]]></cdata></div> Note: Vodafone Idea's share price on 29-05-2020 is taken at 12:10 pm. A deal with Vodafone Idea could also come at a comparatively discounted price. Even though its share price has increased by 84% since March, it is relatively cheaper when compared to rival telecom operators like Airtel. <table><tbody><tr><td>Company</td><td>Market capitalisation (in crore)</td></tr><tr><td>Reliance Jio</td><td>₹4,89,075</td></tr><tr><td>Airtel</td><td>₹3,07,000</td></tr><tr><td>Vodafone Idea</td><td>₹16,665</td></tr></tbody></table> Note: Reliance Jio's valuation is based on the latest investment made by KKR. Airtel and Vodafone Idea's valuations are based on the closing price as on May 28, 2020. Vodafone Idea and its timeline of woes Since the entry of Jio, Vodafone Idea has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-and-its-timeline-of-woes/articleshow/74577942.cms">posted cumulative losses</a> of ₹77,000 crore, with ₹50,922 crore coming in September 2019 alone. It was hit by a demand of ₹53,000 crore by the Supreme Court for recovery of adjusted gross revenue dues. In November 2019, the telco’s UK parent Vodafone Plc wrote down the value of its Indian entity to nil. It also lost 36 million subscribers in the same month. According to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/mukesh-ambanis-reliance-jio-becomes-the-largest-telco-by-revenue-and-subscribers-as-industry-shows-signs-of-recovery/articleshow/73667566.cms">latest numbers</a> released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Vodafone Idea has 336 million subscribers, while Jio is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/microsoft-mukesh-ambani-reliance-jio-are-partners-but-satya-nadella-wants-more/articleshow/76057690.cms">said</a> to have 387 million subscribers. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="74577942" title="Vodafone Idea and its timeline of woes" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The Indian telecom sector is too lucrative for the big tech companies to ignore The Indian telecom sector presents a good investment opportunity for big tech companies to expand their presence in the country. Although Vodafone Idea’s status is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/bharti-airtels-ceo-wants-vodafone-idea-to-survive-and-stay-on/articleshow/73973990.cms">critical right now</a>, the recent price hikes by all the three major telecom companies gives it a chance to survive in the market. Further, the Jio-Facebook deal has opened up the Indian telecom sector for investments. Since the deal with Zuckerberg’s company, Jio has found buyers in KKR, General Atlantic, Silver Lake and Vista Equity Partners. Airtel, the third-biggest telco, is also <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/airtel-parent-to-raise-1-billion-via-share-sale-today/articleshow/75989710.cms">looking to raise</a> $1 billion by selling a 2.75% stake to Fidelity, Segantii Capital, Norges Bank and others. Jio changed the face of Indian telecom sector India’s telecom sector has seen major upheaval since the entry of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio. After Jio’s entry, the Indian telecom sector has seen minor players like Tata Docomo, Aircel, Reliance Communications, Telenor either wind up or sell their business to Airtel. Amidst all this, Vodafone and Idea, which were two separate operators, decided to merge in 2018 to take on Reliance Jio. However, since then, the merged entity Vodafone Idea has been losing millions of customers due to multiple issues, including business uncertainty and a fall in its quality of service. Jio was the major beneficiary of this, going on to become the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/mukesh-ambanis-reliance-jio-becomes-the-largest-telco-by-revenue-and-subscribers-as-industry-shows-signs-of-recovery/articleshow/73667566.cms">largest telecom operator in India</a> both by revenue and number of subscribers. Update: Vodafone Idea in a statement to NSE has said, "As part of corporate strategy, the company constantly evaluates various opportunities for enhancing the stakeholders’ value. As and when such proposals are considered by the Board of Directors of the Company warranting disclosures, the Company shall comply with the disclosure obligations under the SEBI Regulations. Currently, there is no proposal as reported by the media that is being considered at the Board." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/airtel-share-price-target-as-africa-unit-nears-a-billion-dollars-in-revenue/articleshow/75970641.cms">Airtel’s Africa unit is now a nearly-billion dollar business where every user pays 40% more than the one in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/if-vodafone-idea-increases-tariff-it-will-help-airtel-and-reliance-jio/articleshow/74964136.cms">A new research report says Vodafone Idea has to increase tariff by 39% to survive – and that will be a bounty for Reliance Jio and Airtel</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/india-is-changing-its-mobile-habits-and-that-can-help-airtel-and-vodafone/articleshow/75152973.cms">India is changing its mobile habits and that can help Airtel and Vodafone</a>

Vodafone Idea shares surge more than 30% after Google reportedly considers a stake in the debt-laden telco

<ul><li>At 7:45 am, the SGX Nifty was up 0.58% at 8.70 points pointing towards a positive start for Nifty50.</li><li>Here’s a list of stocks to watch for in trade today. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a> </li></ul>Amid positive cues from the global peers, Indian stock-market indices are likely to open in green on Tuesday. At 7:45 am, the SGX Nifty was up 0.58% at 8.70 points pointing towards a higher start for Nifty50. On Wall Street, the S&amp;P 500 closed above the 3,400 thresholds for the first time, bolstered by gains in some big tech-related names. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also jumped 378.13 points to close at 28,308.46. These are the stocks to watch out for during the trading session on Tuesday: Future Retail Kishore Biyani-led Future Retail has averted a default as it repaid around $14 million (around Rs 100 crore) interest on foreign bonds to investors. The 30-day grace period for repaying the interest on ‘5.60 per cent Senior Secured Notes due 2025’ was to end on Monday. The shares of Future Retail plunged over 5% on Monday. Adani Enterprises Billionaire Gautam Adani’s Adani Group is in talks to buy out GVK and some of its partners in the Mumbai Airport as it aims to become the country’s biggest private airport operator. Adani Group is in talks to acquire a 50.5% stake held by GVK Group in Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) and another 23.5% of minority partners, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), and Bidvest Group, two sources with knowledge of the matter told PTI. The shares of Adani Enterprises ended 7% higher on Monday. Axis Bank Axis Bank on Monday said it would acquire 17% stake in Max Life Insurance instead of the 29% proposed earlier as per a revised deal. Axis Bank currently holds about 1 per cent stake in Max Life and is the biggest banking channel partner for the distribution of the insurer’s products. Products sold through the bank reportedly account for 54% of Max Life’s revenues. The shares of Axis Bank ended 2% higher on Monday. GMR Infra GMR Infra board to consider raising of funds of up to ₹5000 crore in one or more tranches, through the issue of securities as an enabling resolution as per the requirements of applicable laws which shall be subject to the approval of shareholders. The shares of GMR Infra ended 5% higher on Monday. Wipro Wipro announced a partnership with Standard Initial Margin Model (SIMM) vendor, Quaternion Risk Management. As part of the deal, Wipro will offer SIMM-in-a-box to financial institutions covered under Uncleared Margin Rules (UMR). The shares of Wipro ended nearly a percent lower on Monday. Allcargo Logistics The promoters of Allcargo Logistics have proposed to delist the company shares as part of its efforts to pare debt, the company said in a stock-exchange filing on August 24. The shares of Allcargo Logistics ended nearly a percent higher on Monday. LIC Housing Finance Mortgage lender LIC Housing Finance reported a 34% jump in its net profit to ₹817.48 crore for the quarter ending June helped by lower provisioning. The total income of the company rose to ₹4,977.49 crore in April-June 2020 from ₹4,807.21 crore in the year-ago quarter, according to a regulatory filing. The shares of LIC Housing Finance ended nearly a percent lower on Monday. JSW Energy JSW Energy said that its Executive Director Jyoti Kumar Agarwal, who is also the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), has tendered his resignation and will step down with effect from September 15. In a regulatory filing, the company said that Agarwal has decided to pursue career opportunities outside the company. The shares of JSW Energy ended 2% lower on Monday. Indian Energy Exchange Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) on Monday said its board of directors had accepted the resignation of its Managing Director and CEO Rajiv Srivastava. The company has given Satyanarayan Goel the additional charge of Managing Director and CEO. “Board of directors of the company at its meeting held today, i.e. August 24, 2020, has approved the resignation of Rajiv Srivastava, Managing Director &amp; CEO of the company, who has tendered his resignation on August 24, 2020, from the board of the company, due to his personal reasons,” the company said in a stock-exchange filing. The shares of Indian Energy Exchange ended a percent higher on Monday. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/axis-bank-trims-its-investment-in-max-life-insurance-from-30-to-18/articleshow/77721249.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink"> Axis Bank trims its investment in Max Life Insurance from 30% to 18%</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/airtel-stock-is-getting-knocked-down-as-investors-fear-it-may-have-to-pay-videocons-dues/articleshow/77714933.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Airtel stock is getting knocked down as investors fear it may have to pay Videocon's dues</a>

Top stocks to watch on Tuesday— Future Retail, Adani Enterprises, Wipro, Axis Bank, GMR Infra, LIC Housing Finance and more

<ul><li>Latin America will be its second biggest market after Asia, the company’s CEO Rajdip Kumar Gupta said.</li><li>The company raised ₹867.49 crore last month and 60% of this capital will be used to acquire businesses and grow inorganically.</li><li>The Mumbai-based company recently announced the acquisition of a local player Masivian in Latin America for $47.5 million.</li></ul><keyword id="3519758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="route-mobile" source="Orion">Route Mobile</keyword>, a publicly listed communications platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) provider, is eyeing aggressive expansion into Latin America and Middle East. Route Mobile’s founder and Group chief executive (CEO) Rajdip Kumar Gupta told Business Insider that Latin America will be its second biggest market after Asia and would be a major contributor to its revenue as well. “If we have a larger population in any country, this means more devices are going to be used in those countries. If we talk about the digital communication used in Sweden as compared to India, India is far superior because of the population. Whether we are an emerging country or not, that’s a secondary issue. After Asia and Africa, the next big market is Latin America,” Gupta added. The Mumbai-based company recently announced the acquisition of a local player Masivian in Latin America for $47.5 million. Route Mobile has bought 100% shares in the company. Masivian is one of the leading cloud communication platform service providers to enterprises, over-the-top (OTT) platforms and mobile network operators in the region. According to its website, Masivian’s clientele includes Google, Visa, IBM and Microsoft. It also serves popular national banks of the region like Chile-based Banco Falabella and Puerto Rico-based Banco Popular, among others. Why is Route Mobile betting on Latin America? Route Mobile itself works with big enterprises like Airtel, Emirates, Facebook, Google, ICICI Bank, Microsoft, Telegram, WhatsApp and others in the market it serves in. The company has its operations across North America, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The company provides mobile communication solutions such as text messaging, voice calling, number lookups, firewall, email and other related services. <div type="image" title="Route Mobile is eyeing the Latin America market to bump up its global presence" msid="88089583" hostid="261"></div> The acquisition of Masivian has helped Route Mobile cover two large markets of Latin America — Colombia and Peru. The company also had a presence in Chile. This acquisition has also opened doors for Route Mobile to enter Brazil organically as well. He also highlighted that Latin America is divided into two parts — Portuguese speaking countries and Spanish speaking countries. The acquisition has helped them cover the Spanish-speaking countries in one go. The company just needs to expand into Brazil and Argentina to cover Latin America as a whole. Route aims to go big in voice communication, blockchain and more Seventeen-year-old Route Mobile — which sits on a market cap of ₹11,267 crore as on December 3 — raised ₹867.49 crore last month via qualified institutional placement (QIP) from both international and existing investors. Nearly 60% of this capital would go into acquiring new businesses so that Route Mobile could expand its global footprint. “Right now we haven't identified anything,but right now we are looking at something in voice [communication] business, a part of CPaaS offering, where we don’t have a solid platform as of now,” Gupta added. The rest of the capital will be used to grow organically by building new products and hiring people across the globe. The company will be looking to grow organically in the internet of things and blockchain technology as these technologies are still in their nascent stages. “We want to make sure that we start building from now, so whenever the market grows, we get an early mover advantage,” he added. <div type="image" title="Route Mobile is eyeing the Latin America market to bump up its global presence" msid="88089598" hostid="261"></div> Coming to the Middle East market, Route Mobile bought a 49% stake in Kuwait-based Interteleco in October to strengthen its operations in the region. Gupta told Business Insider that they have always been stable in the Middle East and that is where they started their business. “In the Middle East, especially in the UAE, the major business is tourism and digital marketing is the key aspect of their growth story,” he added. He emphasised that UAE was among their biggest revenue generators and they wanted to expand into other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions. Route Mobile has set up an office in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other regions. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/jet-airways-stock-flies-on-news-that-the-airline-is-in-talks-to-buy-100-aircraft-ahead-of-its-comeback/articleshow/88067644.cms">Jet Airways stock flies on news that the airline is in talks to buy 100 aircraft ahead of its comeback</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/poor-demand-for-star-healths-ipo-forces-investment-bankers-to-cut-down-on-promoter-offerings/articleshow/88065207.cms">Poor demand for Star Health’s IPO forces investment bankers to cut down on promoter offerings; GMP at ₹10 discount</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/no-crypto-ban-in-india-sebi-will-reportedly-be-pulled-in-to-regulate-the-sector/articleshow/88065166.cms">No crypto ban in India — SEBI will reportedly be pulled in to regulate the sector</a>

Route Mobile CEO explains how he is picking the next market for acquisitions

After a round of musical chairs, Musk, Gates and Adani are among 2022’s top 5 billionaires

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image"><a title_source="YouTube/Internet.org" title_caption="Mark Zuckerberg's Internet.org has been on the hot seat lately." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55313377ecad04f9508b4567-960/mark-zuckerberg-internetorg.png"></a>YouTube/Internet.orgMark Zuckerberg's Internet.org has been on the hot seat lately.</div></div></div>Not everyone is a fan of Internet.org, Facebook's non-profit aiming to bring internet access to "the most disadvantaged" parts of the world.Since its <a href="http://internet.org/press/internet-dot-org-app-now-available-in-india">February rollout in India</a>, several big companies from that country, including a giant media firm and a major travel portal, have withdrawn from the service, claiming it conflicts with the spirit of net neutrality. <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32334181">According to the BBC</a>, "the issue has certainly galvanized the Indian public - more than 800,000 people have sent emails to India's telecom regulator demanding a free and fair internet."Responding to the backlash in India, Zuckerberg defended Internet.org in an article for <a href="http://m.hindustantimes.com/technology-topstories/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-to-ht-net-neutrality-and-universal-connectivity-must-co-exist/article1-1337766.aspx">the Hindustan Times</a>, and later published the same text in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102033678947881">a Facebook post</a>. He says "net neutrality and universal connectivity must co-exist."Net neutrality is the idea that all data should be treated equally and service providers shouldn't limit access to certain services over others. But it helps to understand this in the context of Internet.org.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image"><a title_source="YouTube/Internet.org" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55315d08ecad043a7e8b4567-960/internetorg-1.png"></a>YouTube/Internet.org</div></div></div>Here's how Internet.org works: The non-profit makes a free mobile app that's available in parts of Asia, Latin America, and Africa, thanks to partnerships with cellular carriers in those countries. The app is basically a bundle of a few dozen major web services like Facebook, Wikipedia, ESPN, BBC News, and others, but the app itself doesn't provide access to the full internet.So, unless your phone has a browser and a data plan, you can only use the free selection of applications Facebook provides you. Facebook hasn't explained how it selects the apps and services to include in Internet.org: Why, for example, does it offer Bing Search but not Google? Why is YouTube not included, despite its educational value? Customers don't have answers to these questions, which partially explains the backlash.Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of the eastern Indian state of Odisha, said in a letter to Indian regulators (<a href="http://qz.com/385821/poor-internet-for-poor-people-why-facebooks-internet-org-amounts-to-economic-racism/">via Quartz</a>): "While the underprivileged deserve much more than what is available, nobody should decide what exactly are their requirements. If you dictate what the poor should get, you take away their rights to choose what they think is best for them." <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image"><a title_source="YouTube/Internet.org" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55315d3c69beddd40c8b4567-960/internetorg-2.png"></a>YouTube/Internet.org</div></div></div>Some argue that the underlying problem with this particular structure - offering a bundle of select apps instead of the complete internet - boils down to a policy called "zero rating." It means customers don't pay for the data they use when they access a service or application; rather, the operator running that service or app pays for that data.This toll-free policy can give an unfair advantage to big websites like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/fast-and-free-facebook-mobile-access-with-0facebookcom/391295167130">Facebook</a> and ESPN, which can afford to pay the data bills for thousands of customers, while leaving little room for smaller independent operations. The Hindustan Times' Nikhil Pahwa wrote a <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/technology-topstories/mr-zuckerberg-facebook-is-not-and-should-not-be-the-internet/article1-1337944.aspx" target="_blank">scathing response</a> to Zuckerberg's editorial on Thursday. He cited Stanford Law School professor <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/02/25/388948293/what-net-neutrality-rules-could-mean-for-your-wireless-carrier" target="_BLANK">Barbara van Schewick</a>, who said "zero-rating is the next big threat to innovation and free speech online. It distorts competition, interferes with user choice. And that's exactly what network neutrality is designed to protect."Here's Pahwa:Neither Internet.org, Airtel Zero nor any other major zero rating platform gives the choice to the consumer. Instead, the decisions are made by big telcos working in partnership with large Internet companies. Smaller firms are forced to commercially lobby and sign up in order to prevent their competitors from being able to deal in and crush them.This reduces entrepreneurship and local Internet innovation by placing firms in a situation where their local consumers are all locked in to a limited platform under the control of a few giants. Effectively Prime Minister Narendra Modi's <a href="http://www.makeinindia.com/" target="_BLANK">"Make in India"</a> initiative will be reduced to a "Taxed in India" one, with the "tax" being collected by gatekeepers like Facebook and Airtel. This is why regulators in <a href="http://concurrentmedia.com/2015/02/23/the-next-ott-battleground-zero-rating/" target="_BLANK">Chile, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Canada</a> have prohibited zero-rating, while their counterparts in Germany, Austria and Norway have publicly stated that zero-rating violates network neutrality.In defense of Internet.org, Zuckerberg says "if someone can't afford to pay for connectivity, it is always better to have some access than none at all." While that may be true, offering a few free applications hand-picked by Facebook might not make "a free and open internet" that everyone can agree with. Facebook currently works with local operators to deliver Internet.org, but the company is researching novel ways to beam internet access via drones and satellites, which may eventually help it deliver internet to people without relying on "zero rating." We've reached out to Facebook for comment, and will update this story accordingly when necessary. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-in-china-mandarin-panel-facebook-2014-10">Watch Mark Zuckerberg In China Surprise The Audience By Speaking Fluent Mandarin</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZreWJhcTrgaYr677oqwzLzUqhzPC2gZG" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "airtel africa news" and got 10 results

Airtel Africa posts double-digit revenue growth and 82% surge in net profit on the back strong cost control and increased usage levels

IANS

Airtel poised to post improved ARPU and revenue growth – analysts remain bullish on the stock

Rounak Jain

Bharti Airtel loss narrows, revenue beats analyst estimates – ARPU rises to ₹162

Rounak Jain

Top stocks to watch – Mrs Bectors, RIL, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, IL&FS, InterGlobe Aviation, Future Group, Deepak Nitrite, Jubilant FoodWorks, and others

Rounak Jain

Airtel rolls out pan-African smartphone to boost 3G business

BI India Bureau

Vodafone Idea shares surge more than 30% after Google reportedly considers a stake in the debt-laden telco

Rounak Jain

Top stocks to watch on Tuesday— Future Retail, Adani Enterprises, Wipro, Axis Bank, GMR Infra, LIC Housing Finance and more

Navdeep Yadav

Route Mobile CEO explains how he is picking the next market for acquisitions

Kritti Bhalla

After a round of musical chairs, Musk, Gates and Adani are among 2022’s top 5 billionaires

Rounak Jain

Why some people believe Mark Zuckerberg's plan to bring cheap internet to the world is majorly flawed

Dave Smith

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides