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State-owned <keyword id="19970536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BSNL" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BSNL" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BSNL">BSNL</keyword> will start rolling out <keyword id="21279641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="4G-services" source="keywords">4G services</keyword> across the country from August, using completely indigenous technology in line with the government's "Atmanirbhar" policy, according to official sources. BSNL officials claimed to have recorded peak speed of 40-45 megabit per second on the 4G network which has been rolled out in the premium spectrum band of 700 megahertz (Mhz) as well as in 2,100 Mhz band during the pilot phase. The company has rolled out 4G services in Punjab using indigenously developed technology by IT company TCS and state-run telecom research organisation C-DoT-led consortium and onboarded around 8 lakh subscribers. "The 4G core developed by C-DoT is performing very well in the BSNL network in Punjab. It was installed in July last year. It takes 12 month to prove the success of such complex technology but the C-DoT core has stabilised within 10 months. BSNL will launch atmanirbhar 4G technology across the country in August," a senior government official, who did not wish to be named, told PTI. The core network is a collection of network hardware, devices, and software that provides fundamental services in a telecommunication network. Telecom regulator <keyword id="19942079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trai" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Trai" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Trai">Trai</keyword> in a recent paper explained core as part of a network that offers the functionality of aggregation, call control, switching, authentication, charging, gateway functionality, etc. TCS, Tejas Networks and government-owned ITI have bagged orders worth about Rs 19,000 crore from BSNL for deploying 4G network which is upgradable to 5G. In a recent earnings call, Tejas Networks Executive Director and chief operating officer Arnob Roy said BSNL's mobile network is getting deployed across zones. He said that wherever the C-DOT core is not available on the BSNL network, the equipment is getting integrated to the existing core. "When the C-DOT core gets deployed in those circles, in those zones, they will get parented to the C-DOT core as well. Tejas Networks Limited. This is just a temporary situation where the RAN (radio access network) is deployed and in that zone, the core is not available," Roy said. BSNL is in the process of deploying 1.12 lakh towers for 4G and <keyword id="20041753" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="5G-services" source="keywords">5G services</keyword> across India. "The company has installed over 9,000 towers for 4G service across the country, out of which more than 6,000 are active in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, UP West and Haryana circle. BSNL has been selling 4G capable SIM only for the last 4-5 years. Only those customers who have older SIM will need to get new SIM to experience the service," a BSNL official said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/following-kotak-mahindra-banks-strong-q4-numbers-analysts-reset-stock-target-up-to-1900-worried-about-reputation-impact-than-financial-says-ceo/articleshow/109882571.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/following-kotak-mahindra-banks-strong-q4-numbers-analysts-reset-stock-target-up-to-1900-worried-about-reputation-impact-than-financial-says-ceo/articleshow/109882571.cms" target="_blank">Following Kotak Mahindra Bank’s strong Q4 numbers, analysts reset stock target up to ₹1,900; Worried about reputation impact than financial, says CEO</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/worldwide-tablet-shipments-grow-in-q1-2024-after-two-years-of-decline/articleshow/109876390.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/worldwide-tablet-shipments-grow-in-q1-2024-after-two-years-of-decline/articleshow/109876390.cms" target="_blank">Worldwide tablet shipments grow in Q1 2024 after two years of decline</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/global-smartphone-shipments-grow-by-6-in-q1-2024-samsung-retakes-the-top-spot/articleshow/109817280.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/global-smartphone-shipments-grow-by-6-in-q1-2024-samsung-retakes-the-top-spot/articleshow/109817280.cms" target="_blank">Global smartphone shipments grow by 6% in Q1 2024, Samsung retakes the top spot</a>

BSNL to launch 4G services across India in August; to use indigenous technology

NEW DELHI: Amid the industry's concerns over less-than-expected price cuts, Trai chairman PD Vaghela on Tuesday asserted that the regulator's recommendations of a 39 per cent drop in <keyword id="804714" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spectrum-prices" source="Orion">spectrum prices</keyword> are rational, attractive and backed by "scientific calculations". Vaghela told PTI that in view of the huge market potential of 5G, he is confident that the telecom industry will actively take part in the auction. The chairman expressed hope that the recommended reserve prices will attract bidders in the forthcoming auction. He also said that the ease of doing business, extensive stakeholder inputs, and facilitating the proliferation of 5G in the country have been the most important drivers for Trai's latest stance. Setting the stage for the rollout of 5G services, telecom regulator Trai on Monday recommended a mega auction plan valued at over Rs 7.5 lakh crore at the base price across multiple bands for radiowaves allocated over 30 years. Overall, the <keyword id="12394776" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="telecom-regulatory-authority-of" source="Orion">Telecom Regulatory Authority of</keyword> <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> (Trai) recommended about a 39 per cent reduction in the reserve or floor price for the sale of spectrum for mobile services, including the latest 5G offering, as it looked to match revenue expectations with the industry's paying capacity. Industry body COAI, however, has expressed deep disappointment over Trai's 5G recommendations, and termed the spectrum pricing suggested by the regulator as "too high". Given the recent reforms for the telecom sector announced by the government, these recommendations are "one step backwards than forward" towards building a digitally connected India, COAI claimed. COAI argued that the industry had recommended 90 per cent lower prices, and to see only about 35-40 per cent reduction recommended in prices "is deeply disappointing". Asked about the industry's views on less than expected price cuts, Vaghela in an interview said the regulator's recommendations of a 39 per cent drop in spectrum prices are backed by "scientific calculations". "Trai takes the business of calculation of valuation seriously, and on that basis, we have arrived at rational reserve prices. The prices we have given have been set at 70 per cent of valuation," he said. Taking off from the telecom department's reference seeking auction-related recommendations, Trai considered various aspects like ease of doing business, stakeholder inputs and most importantly, the proliferation of 5G and use cases in the country to ensure that economic benefits of technology are derived by all sections of society, he said. "If you see our recommendations on surrender fee, easy and flexible payment options, and leasing of spectrum for private networks, these are all aimed at ease of doing business and attracting investment into the telecom sector," Vaghela said. While auctions and network rollout are important considerations, "as a country, we need to facilitate penetration of 5G based technologies and use cases", Vaghela said. "A complete ecosystem needs to be created towards this objective," he said. "So, we have recommended action plans for vertical sectors, i.e., industry sectors and social sectors ...that they should be actively preparing plans for adopting 5G applications. Stakeholders like farmers, fishermen, students, MSMEs etc need to be further empowered to be part of the digital economy," Vaghela added. 5G technology once implemented should create demand for telecom products, thereby improving revenue streams for telecom service providers, and should also help consumers and the public at large to become a part of the mainstream digital economy, he noted. "India should reap the benefits of technologies and applications, which are based on 5G," the Trai chief said. On whether the industry has the paying capacity, given that over one lakh <keyword id="13265908" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="megahertz" source="Orion">megahertz</keyword> of spectrum worth over Rs 5 lakh crore at reserve price will be on the block (for 20-year allocation), Vaghela said, "With the attractive reserve prices recommended, flexible payment options offered, easy spectrum surrender conditions, recommendations on leasing etc., the forthcoming auction will surely be attractive for the investors". The Indian economy is growing, technology adoption is being ramped up by different vertical sectors and the market for telecom products is expanding at a rapid pace, he noted. "In view of the huge market potential of 5G, I am sure that the telecom industry will actively take part in the auction," he said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/xiaomis-manu-kumar-jain-has-been-reportedly-summoned-by-the-enforcement-directorate/articleshow/90803402.cms">Xiaomi’s Manu Kumar Jain has been reportedly summoned by the Enforcement Directorate</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/travel-tourism-and-hospitality-sector-is-witnessing-a-surge-in-manpower-demand-by-20-percent/slidelist/90799907.cms">Travel, tourism and hospitality sector is witnessing a surge in manpower demand by 20 percent</a>

Recommended spectrum prices are backed by scientific calculations, says Trai chief Vaghela

New Delhi, Feb 5 () Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said it will not buy 5G spectrum in the upcoming auction if its base price is fixed at Rs 492 crore per megahertz as recommended by the telecom regulator Trai.The company has stressed balance sheet reeling under debt of Rs 1.14 lakh crore with liability to clear statutory dues of around 35,500 crore, following a Supreme Court order in October 2019 that upheld the government's stand on calculating levies over telecom licences.Bharti Airtel chief financial officer Badal Bagri during the earnings calls, however, said that the industry is now repairing itself with hike in mobile call and internet rates, which needs to rise further and it expects a favourable outcome in the adjusted gross revenue from the judiciary and regulator for long-term growth and viability of the sector."On the 3.5 Ghz band Trai has recommended price to Rs 50,000 crore for 100 mhz of spectrum. 5G requires a large block of spectrum. 100 Mhz spectrum for 50,000 crore, we can't afford. We believe it is too high. We will not pick it up at those prices," Bharti Airtel MD and CEO for India and South Asia Gopal Vittal said.The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has recommended that proposed base price of proposed 5G spectrum in 3,300-3,600 Mhz band at about Rs 492 crore per Mhz unpaired spectrum on pan India basis.Telecom operators interested in buying radiowaves for 5G will have to shell out a minimum of Rs 9,840 crore on pan-India basis to buy spectrum in 3,300-3,600 Mhz band as Trai has suggested that it "should be put to auction in the block size of 20 MHz".The Digital Communications Commission, apex decision making body at the Department of Telecom, has approved the suggestions made by Trai.Vittal said that though telecom players raised mobile call and internet rates in December, the tariff needs to go up further for better return on investments."We have ARPU of Rs 135. In the end state, I think we need to see ARPU of Rs 300 in Indian telecom. I think that is when we will turn a reasonable return of capital on the overall business," Vittal said.He said that with the last round of tariff hike, the ARPU of the company will go up, but it may not be enough to give return on the investments."While our ARPU will go up in next quarter because of tariff increases, they are just not good enough. At Rs 200, we will barely be head above water in terms of return on capital. It is clearly something that we need to see moving. I cannot comment on what the timing is," Vittal said.Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea raised their services rates by up to 50 per cent in December and their rival Reliance Jio too increased tariff by about 40 per cent.The companies cited the burden of AGR dues on their books following the Supreme Court judgement dated October 24, 2019 as one of the compelling reasons to enhance tariff.Bharti Airtel's liabilities added up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, including licence fee and spectrum usage charge dues.It may be recalled that for September quarter, Airtel had posted a staggering Rs 23,045 crore net loss, after provisioning of Rs 28,450 crore on account of the Supreme Court ruling on past dues.Bharti Airtel has posted a consolidated loss of Rs 1,035 crore for the three months ended December 31, 2019 with apex court ruling adding to the financial woes of the company.The company had to clear dues by January 23 but it has sought time from the DoT to wait till the outcome of its modification plea filed before the apex court seeking relaxation on timeline to clear dues."We are hopeful that we will get favourable outcome from the engagement with judiciary and regulator that will ensure long term growth and viability of the sector," Bagri said.During the October-December 2019, Bharti Airtel said that it has posted the highest ever addition of 4G customers and attributed the growth to its rival operator move to charge 6 paise per minute for every outgoing call outside the network.While overall mobile customer base of Bharti Airtel grew by 1.3 per cent to 28.3 crore on quarter on quarter basis, its 4G customer base grew by 20.1 per cent to 12.3 crore on sequential quarter basis.For just ended December quarter, Airtel's consolidated revenues came in at Rs 21,947 crore, up 8.5 per cent over the same period previous year. The India revenues for reported quarter stood at Rs 15,797 crore, 7 per cent higher over same period previous year, while Africa revenues were up 14.2 per cent. PRS BAL

Bharti Airtel will not bid for 5G spectrum at Trai recommended price: Vittal

New Delhi, Nov 27 () Amid ongoing turbulence in the telecom sector, Trai chairman on Wednesday met heads of telcos, including Vodafone Idea CEO, to identify priority issues that will be taken up by the regulator in 2020.
Sources said that floor price and redefining adjusted gross revenue (AGR) were among key issues that were flagged by the industry representatives at the meeting today. A section of the industry wanted Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to initiate a consultation on these issues to address industry's woes.
The meeting assumes significance as the debt-laden and loss-making sector is reeling under massive financial stress, compounded by demand for Rs 1.47 lakh crore in unpaid statutory dues following a ruling by the Supreme Court last month.
Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and others are staring at massive statutory payouts after the SC upheld the government's position on including revenue from non-telecommunication businesses in calculating the annual adjusted gross revenue (AGR) of telecom companies, a share of which is paid as licence and spectrum fee to the exchequer. 
When contacted, Trai Chairman R S Sharma told , "We had a general discussion on issues to identify the priority areas for the next calendar year".
"The industry had given their inputs prior to the meeting and TRAI also had identified some issues... So we deliberated on both these lists and got inputs from industry on their thoughts. We have asked industry to give their written submissions on specific matters," Sharma said.
Trai will finalise a list of 6-7 issues that will be taken up by the regulator in coming year, he said.
Sharma, however, refused to comment on the specific matters that came up for discussion. However, industry sources said floor price and redefinition of AGR figured prominently in the discussions that were held at Trai on Wednesday. MBI SR BAL
BAL

Trai chief meets Voda Idea CEO, others industry officials to identify priority issues for 2020

<ul><li>The government has refused to make <keyword id="764355" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="5G">5G</keyword> spectrum cheaper on the recommendations of the <keyword id="30356" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI). </li><li>The government is also looking at options to extend the payment time for the spectrum from 10 years to 16 years. </li><li>The government is also working on reducing the upfront price for the auction by 5-10%. </li></ul>The government has refused to make 5G spectrum cheaper ahead of the upcoming auctions. But it is providing a lifeline to telecom companies, making it easier for them to own it, by spreading payments for it, by over 16 years, according to a <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/telecom-operators-likely-to-get-16-years-to-pay-for-5g-spectrum-119071200058_1.html">Business Standard report</a>. This comes as good news for telecom companies like <keyword id="10926" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance">Reliance</keyword> <keyword id="2003276" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio">Jio</keyword>, <keyword id="6354287" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharti-airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> and <keyword id="15492" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> Idea, who have raised concerns over the high base price set by the government. To ease the burden of already debt-laden companies, the government is known to be studying options to lower the upfront payment to 5-10% of the total value of the spectrum they purchase. This development has come after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> (TRAI) stuck at its recommended reserve price of ₹492 crore per MHz for the prized 5G spectrum which can provide ultra high-speed Internet connections. This move, if taken, will be in line with the recommendations of the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) made last year in January. It said spectrum should be paid for in 10-16 years, to solve the sector’s difficulties. Tough environment Lowering margins and increased competition have pushed many telcos into the red. Bharti Airtel has a net debt of ₹108,235 crore as on <a href="https://www.livemint.com/industry/telecom/airtel-arpu-grows-6-5-to-rs-123-in-jan-mar-2019-1559240368545.html">May 2019</a>. Vodafone Idea is in no better position as it has <a href="https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/vodafone-idea-q4-loss-narrows-to-rs-4847-3-cr-revenue-arpu-up-on-quarter/69310775">debt to the </a>tune of ₹118,00 crore. Reliance Jio which kickstarted the data price war has shored up its parent company debt. Its current liabilities with a variety of businesses under it from oil to retail went by ₹27,000 crore in a year, leaving it with less headroom for heavy investments. As expected, the telecom provides have been unhappy with the prices. “These prices are exorbitant, given that the state of 5G ecosystem is still nascent. So, we would hope that the government brings the prices of spectrum,” <a href="https://www.communicationstoday.co.in/telecom-operators-likely-to-get-16-years-to-pay-for-5g-spectrum/">said</a> Bharti Airtel MD and CEO. Vodafone-Idea chief executive Balesh Sharma also termed the prices as exorbitant, while Reliance Jio’s Senior Vice President V L Shankar said “We need large bandwidth of 5G and at attractive prices.” In 2016, telecom operators had missed the auction of 700 MHz 5G spectrum auctioned last year.

5G spectrum auctions might have a ‘buy now pay later’ scheme

Tata group satellite services firm <keyword id="217765" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="nelco" source="Orion">Nelco</keyword> has withdrawn application for offering personal satellite communication services to consumers in the country and plans to apply for a new licence under <keyword id="182283" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="new-space-policy" source="Orion">New Space Policy</keyword>, a top company official has said. Nelco has withdrawn the application for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence, which it had earlier submitted to the Department of telecommunications (DoT). The company plans to apply for a relevant permit after going through the contours of the New Space Policy. "The company has all licences required to provide all satellite services permissible in the country and the company will apply for relevant permit after going through the contours of the New Space Policy and outcome of consultation paper floated by telecom regulator Trai," Nelco, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer PJ Nath told PTI on Wednesday. The GMPCS licence at present allows licence holders to provide satellite phone services in India. "We at Nelco are looking to expand satcom in a big way. We have got a very ambitious plan for entire satcom services. We want to take judicious calls based on the changing and regulatory environment," Nath said. Nath further said that the company is getting into new segments as the regulation is opening. "We will also get into the consumer market where it has not been possible to go with satellite communication because of technical and other issues. With the New Space Policy coming, we will also get there. We are expanding our business," Nath said. The Indian Space Policy 2023, approved by the cabinet last week seeks to institutionalise private sector participation in the space sector, with ISRO focusing on research and development of advanced space technologies. Nelco at present provides in-flight and maritime services through satellite as well as satellite-based communication to enterprise customers through <keyword id="237940" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vsat" source="Orion">VSAT</keyword> and other licences. "DoT has given clarification that with our VSAT licence we can address land mobility on cars, buses etc. Technically in any market that we want to address today, we can do that with a current license," he said. Nath said that the New Space Policy has been announced and details of the policy are expected to come out within a week. "This is going to be completely a game changer. Lot of regulation will be eased out," Nath said. He said there is a spectrum consultation paper from the <keyword id="30356" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="telecom-regulatory-authority-of-india" source="Orion">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI) which may lead to some changes in the satellite sector. "We are looking at that aspect and then apply for permits that will be required," Nath said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/these-financial-tasks-to-complete-in-april-to-set-the-course-for-the-new-financial-year/slidelist/99455421.cms#slideid=99456011">5 financial tasks to complete in April to set the course for the new financial year</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ather-finally-focuses-on-affordable-electric-scooters-after-losing-its-lead-to-ola-electric-and-tvs-motor/articleshow/99456189.cms">Ather finally focuses on affordable electric scooters after losing its lead to Ola Electric and TVS Motor</a>

Tata's Nelco withdraws satcom permit application; to apply for licence under New Space Policy

<keyword id="4393078" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola-electric" source="Orion">Ola Electric</keyword> CEO <keyword id="1543567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bhavish-aggarwal" source="Orion">Bhavish Aggarwal</keyword> on Tuesday said the company plans to accelerate its new ambitious projects such as electric car, cell manufacturing and the gigafactory, besides deepening focus on technology and engineering. The company is doubling down on building the future in the country, Aggarwal said while refuting reports that he is stepping away from the company's day-to-day management with CFO Arun GR getting an expanded role. "Reads like I'm retiring! Not true. Arun is a great leader &amp; he'll help me manage <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword>'s ops. We will accelerate ambitious new projects like our car, cell, gigafactory etc. &amp; deepen focus on tech &amp; engineering," Aggarwal said in a tweet. He further said: "More soon. Doubling down on building the future here in India, at Ola!" In a separate statement, a company spokesperson said: "As Ola focusses on accelerating ambitious new projects like car and cell manufacturing, gigafactories and electrifying ride hailing business amongst others, the company is ensuring adequate focus on execution excellence and keeping entrepreneurial leadership high on the new businesses." Earlier, media reports had stated that Ola's group CFO Arun GR would be given an expanded role to drive the day-to-day operations across the group. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/infosys-icici-bank-vedanta-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-april-13/slidelist/90811799.cms">Infosys, ICICI Bank, Vedanta among stocks to watch out for on April 13</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/recommended-spectrum-prices-are-backed-by-scientific-calculations-says-trai-chief-vaghela/articleshow/90812587.cms">Recommended spectrum prices are backed by scientific calculations, says Trai chief Vaghela</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/retail-inflation-rose-to-6-95-in-march-government-data/articleshow/90802182.cms">Retail inflation rises to 6.95% in March on costlier food items</a>

Ola Electric to accelerate new projects including electric car, focus on tech: CEO Bhavish Aggarwal

<ul><li><keyword id="3827754" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pinelabs" source="Orion">PineLabs</keyword> on Wednesday announced an investment in <keyword id="3465176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mosambee" source="Orion">Mosambee</keyword>.</li><li>This investment will now value Mosambee at upwards of $100 million.</li><li>Mosambee has a base of 1 million SME merchants and various government departments.</li></ul>Initial public offering (IPO)-bound fintech startup PineLabs on Wednesday announced an investment in Mosambee — an end-to-end payment solution provider in India — in exchange for a majority stake. This investment will now value Mosambee at upwards of $100 million, PineLabs has revealed. The leadership team at Mosambee will continue to operate independently and serve the needs of their customers spread across diverse industries. Founded in 2008 by Alok Arora, Bhushan Thaker and Sameer Chugh, Mosambee is a payment solution company that caters to both online and offline merchants in India and six other countries. The company claims to have a base of 1 million small, medium enterprises (SME) merchants and various government departments, who use Mosambee’s solutions to digitise their payment collections. “With the extensive reach of Pine Labs and their portfolio companies, we aim to continue to deliver strong profitability and breakthrough solutions to our clients,” Mosambee’s cofounder Chugh said. According to business intelligence platform Crunchbase, Mosambee has raised over $2.5 million prior to this. It is backed by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) Venture Capital and Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund. Earlier this year, Mosambee announced the acquisition of Cashless Technologies that runs Benow, a ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ startup. “Ever since its founding, Mosambee has made tremendous progress in elevating the merchant experience through cutting-edge fintech solutions. They were a natural fit for us due to our shared purpose of making innovative fintech products accessible to all and driving forward the digital payment revolution in India,” Amrish Rau, the chief executive officer (CEO) of PineLabs, said in a statement. Founded in 1998 by Lokvir Kapoor, Pine Labs is a merchant payment solutions firm that enables businesses to accept online and offline digital retail transactions. The company powers over 250,000 merchants across over 675,000 merchant network touchpoints in India and Southeast Asia. Pine Labs serves prominent large, mid-sized and small merchants across Asia and the Middle East, including Apple, Starbucks Corp, McDonald's Corp and more. It is planning on hitting the public market soon, and filed for a initial public offering (IPO) in the US in January this year. The company is reportedly planning to raise half a billion dollars from the public market, at a valuation of $6-7 billion. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/infosys-icici-bank-vedanta-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-april-13/slidelist/90811799.cms">Infosys, ICICI Bank, Vedanta among stocks to watch out for on April 13</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/recommended-spectrum-prices-are-backed-by-scientific-calculations-says-trai-chief-vaghela/articleshow/90812587.cms">Recommended spectrum prices are backed by scientific calculations, says Trai chief Vaghela</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/retail-inflation-rose-to-6-95-in-march-government-data/articleshow/90802182.cms">Retail inflation rises to 6.95% in March on costlier food items</a>

IPO-bound PineLabs just added a million merchants to its kitty with its latest acquisition

<ul><li>A report by InnoVen Capital noted that seven in ten respondents believe that Web 3.0 will be something to watch out for in 2022.</li><li>The report is based on the inputs from several early-stage institutional investors such as 3one4 Capital and Blume Ventures.</li><li>Early stage startups in India raised nearly half a billion dollars in seed and pre-Series A round in 2021.</li></ul>Wb 3.0, software-as-a-service (<keyword id="6395918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="saas" source="Orion">SaaS</keyword>) and fintech are emerging as the big focus areas for investors in 2022, a recent report by investment firm InnoVen Capital has revealed. The report also noted that close to seven in ten, or 67%, respondents believe that Web 3.0 will be something to watch out for. Six in ten believe that SaaS will also be a top performer this year, while five respondents also have high hopes from the fintech industry. Web 3.0 is the latest version of the Internet that leverages machine learning, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to achieve real-world human communication. Healthtech and Creator Economy are also in the list for sectors to watch out for in 2022. Over 29% — three in ten — respondents have voted for healthtech and 24% of respondents are siding with the creator economy. <div type="image" title="Web 3.0, SaaS and fintech will be big focus areas for 2022 even though early stage investments are expected to slow down" msid="90819364" hostid="261"></div> The report is based on the inputs from several early-stage institutional investors such as 3one4 Capital, Blume Ventures, First Cheque Ventures, Indian Angel Network, India Quotient, Kae Capital, Mumbai Angels, Omnivore, Orios Venture Partners, Waterbridge Ventures, Good Capital, and YourNest Capital. With this being said, five in ten respondents also believe that the early stage funding may see some slow down in the coming years. This will be quite disappointing to see as early stage funding has started to gain momentum over the last one year. “Early-stage investment activity has proven to be resilient in 2021 with bigger transaction sizes at higher valuations and an increase in the number of Angel Syndicates which are all clear indicators of a maturing early-stage ecosystem. Although the market sentiment shows muted hints of slowdown, however, we expect the early-stage funding environment to remain strong,” Tarana Lalwani, partner at InnoVen Capital India, said. Early stage startups in India raised nearly half a billion dollars in seed and pre-Series A round in 2021, compared to $365 million in the last year. The deal size also grew from 243 in 2020 to 316 in 2021. The average deal size in the early stage has also increased from $1.5 million to $1.8 million in this time span. <div type="image" title="Web 3.0, SaaS and fintech will be big focus areas for 2022 even though early stage investments are expected to slow down" msid="90819383" hostid="261"></div>Bengaluru continues to be the top destination for investors over the last three years, followed by Delhi NCR. According to InnoVen Capital’s latest report, two out of three early-stage investments are raised by startups based in Bengaluru and Delhi NCR. Nearly 12% of all fundings in raised by companies set up in Mumbai. Besides this, Pune and Chennai are among the top five startup cities in India. <div type="image" title="stage investments are expected to slow down" msid="90819392" hostid="261"></div> SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/infosys-icici-bank-vedanta-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-april-13/slidelist/90811799.cms">Infosys, ICICI Bank, Vedanta among stocks to watch out for on April 13</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/recommended-spectrum-prices-are-backed-by-scientific-calculations-says-trai-chief-vaghela/articleshow/90812587.cms">Recommended spectrum prices are backed by scientific calculations, says Trai chief Vaghela</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/retail-inflation-rose-to-6-95-in-march-government-data/articleshow/90802182.cms">Retail inflation rises to 6.95% in March on costlier food items</a>

Web 3.0, SaaS and fintech will be big focus areas for 2022 even though early stage investments are expected to slow down

<ul><li>Shares of Vodafone Idea have spiked nearly 18% in the last two days on hopes of a bailout from the government.</li><li>There were three demands made by the company’s billionaire promoter Kumar Mangalam Birla.</li><li>According to experts, the most viable option at this stage is to put a floor price on tariff, one that would apply to all three major players including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio.</li><li>Check out the latest news and updates on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Business Insider</a>.</li></ul>Vodafone Idea and its management have been sending out SOS to the government. The market seems to believe that a rescue package may be coming after promoter Kumar Mangalam Birla has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met the newly-appointed Minister for Communications, Ashwani Vaishnaw. The shares of Vodafone Idea surged over 10% on September 2 and another 7% yet again today (Sept. 3). The most viable option, according to experts, at this stage, is to have a floor price for telecom services for all operators including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. Floor price refers to a minimum price for voice and data services, which means telecom operators will not be able to offer rates lower than the floor price. <div type="image" title="Vodafone Idea 01_04_21 to 03_09_21." msid="85890408" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Vodafone Idea share price over the last two months&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The market seems to believe that Vodafone Idea may be rescued but experts believe it may be easier said than done. There were 3 demands from Birla, in his letter to the Prime Minister dated June 7: to reduce the payment of regulatory dues after the Supreme Court allowed the recalculation of revenue in earlier years (also called adjusted gross revenue or AGR), to defer payment for spectrum licences, and to set a minimum level of tariffs for mobile phone operators. Sanjay Kapoor, the former chief executive officer of Bharti Airtel, believes if Vodafone Idea gets any of these measures as a bail out, others, including Reliance Jio, will also demand the same and it will only be fair. <div type="Video" msid="85894226" hostid="261" title="How to read Kumar Mangalam Birla’s letter to the government" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=85894226"></div> “I think it will be parochial to read Mr. Birla's letter as wanting to sell his stake. I think it is metaphoric and symbolic in nature,” Kapoor said, explaining that Birla underlined his concerns with the Indian telecom industry slipping back to a duopoly, and that his company and Vodafone Plc., haven’t been able to generate returns out of their multi-billion dollar investment in the telco. On the other hand, R Chandrashekhar, former secretary, Telecom and information technology (IT), told Business Insider that not all of these requests are viable. Like Kapoor, Chandrashekhar also said that the moratorium on spectrum payments would require changing the terms agreed to by the operators, and offering support only to one telco is impossible. The government may find it difficult to let go of revenue, especially from for-profit private companies, at a time when the pandemic has stretched its finances. In the case of AGR dues, the Supreme Court order leaves no room for the government to make exceptions even for a company like Vodafone Idea that seems to be bleeding to death, fast. <div type="Video" msid="85209717" hostid="261" title="What if Vodafone Idea dies and can it be saved?" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=85209717"></div> That leaves us with a floor pricing regime that will define the minimum cost of service that operators can charge. This is a request that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had earlier rejected but, according to reports, the proposal is back on the table for the Department of Telecom to consider. The government, too, finds itself between a rock and a hard place. It can’t be seen as saving a private company owned by a billionaire like Birla, with an estimated net worth of $14.3 billion as per Forbes, in partnership with a multinational giant like Vodafone. It may be a tough call to offer sops to other billionaires like Mukesh Ambani (net worth estimated at $90.2 billion by Forbes and Sunil Bharti Mittal (estimated net worth $12.9 billion), in a bid to provide relief to Birla’s firm. But letting Vodafone Idea die will turn Indian telecom into a duopoly, or a two player market, which may lead to an unpopular rise in the cost of services at a time when the government wants internet and digital technologies to be more widely accessible and adopted by people at large. As Chandrashekhar put it, “it's a difficult problem at the outset, but the solution requires not only a brilliant plan or a design, but it requires a taker”. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/what-if-vodafone-idea-dies/articleshow/85127937.cms">What if Vodafone Idea dies?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-shares-spike-after-promoter-kumar-mangalam-birlas-meeting-with-indias-telecom-minister/articleshow/85861279.cms">Vodafone Idea shares spike after promoter Kumar Mangalam Birla's meeting with India's Telecom minister</a>

Market hopes Vodafone Idea will be saved and these are the rescue options

New Delhi, Dec 19 () Billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal on Thursday said a combination of rock-bottom tariffs and high consumption is killing the telecom industry and sector regulator Trai needs to urgently intervene to strike a balance between the needs for protecting investments and consumer interest.
 "...but, I think we need to have a balance between requirement of investments and consumer on the other side," Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel, told reporters after a pre-Budget meeting between Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and corporate leaders.
 "My view is Rs 200 ARPU (average revenue per user) is eventually going to Rs 300 ARPU... At the lower end, Rs 100 for a customer over a month of consuming rich data, voice and other services and on the upper end Rs 450-500... therefore, blended eventual landing point of Rs 300 a month, which will still be USD 4 a month... by far, the lowest anywhere in the world and yet consuming two or three times more data than anywhere else in the world," Mittal said.
 The industry needs to get to that balance, he said adding that Trai needs to work on this as the industry "has not been able to have an orderly mechanism to get to that point".
 "We are unnecessarily killing this industry in a manner and way that is not conducive for our industry, and that's why we need Trai intervention," Mittal added.
 The comments of the Airtel chief come just days after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) initiated talks to prescribe floor price for call and data, and also deferred by one year the scrapping of the charge paid by mobile phone users for calls made to rival networks.
 The two moves came as a big boost to Airtel and Vodafone Idea that are staring at a liability of thousands of crores in unpaid past statutory dues following a Supreme Court ruling. Through their association, the operators had been pitching to the government for fixing a floor rate for calls and data.
 The telecom call and data rates are at present under forbearance or not regulated.
 But, earlier this week, Trai released a consultation paper to fix minimum or floor rates for mobile phone calls and data, a move that will effectively end the regime of free calling and dirt cheap data.
 The outcome is likely to lead to further hike in mobile call and data cost as the industry wants average revenue per user to reach Rs 300 per month from about Rs 125 at present over a period of two years -- better revenue realisation per user will offer a much-needed breather to the stressed telecom industry where debt levels have soared to Rs 7.8 lakh crore.
 Bharti Airtel had posted a staggering Rs 23,045 crore net loss for the second quarter ended September 30, due to provisioning of Rs 28,450 crore in the aftermath of the SC ruling on statutory dues.
 According to government data, statutory liabilities in the case of Bharti Airtel add up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, of which Rs 21,682 crore is licence fee and another Rs 13,904.01 crore is the SUC (spectrum usage charges) dues (excluding the dues of Telenor and Tata Teleservices). RSN RKL MBI HRS

We are killing telecom industry in a way that is not conducive: Sunil Mittal

New Delhi, Dec 29 () Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Sunday hiked its mandatory minimum recharge for pre-paid customers to Rs 45 from Rs 23.
"...it will be mandatory to recharge with a voucher of Rs 45 or above, every 28 days to avail services," the company said in a public notice.
The new minimum recharge plan will come into effect from Sunday. The announcement pertained to prepaid subscribers of Bharti Airtel and Bharti Hexacom in all service areas, it added.
"In case of non recharge with a voucher of Rs 45 or above at the end of tariff validity period, Airtel reserves the right to provide the plan benefits in a curtailed manner at its own discretion during the grace period of up to 15 days.
"In case of non recharge with voucher of Rs 45 of above, all services will be suspended post the grace period," the company said.
Amid a turbulence in the debt laden sector, Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal had recently said a combination of rock-bottom tariffs and high consumption is killing the telecom industry and sector regulator Trai needs to urgently intervene to strike a balance between the needs for protecting investments and consumer interest.
"We are unnecessarily killing this industry in a manner and way that is not conducive for our industry, and that's why we need Trai intervention," Mittal had said.
The comments of the Airtel chief had come just days after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) initiated talks to prescribe floor price for call and data, and also deferred by one year the scrapping of the charge paid by mobile phone users for calls made to rival networks.
The two moves came as a big boost to old operators like Airtel and Vodafone Idea that are staring at a liability of thousands of crores in unpaid past statutory dues following a Supreme Court ruling.
Through their association, the operators had been pitching to policy makers for fixing a floor rate for calls and data.
The telecom call and data rates are at present under forbearance or not regulated.
But, Trai has now released a consultation paper to fix minimum or floor rates for mobile phone calls and data -- a move that will effectively end the regime of free calling and dirt cheap data.
The outcome is likely to lead to further hike in mobile call and data cost as the industry wants average revenue per user to reach Rs 300 per month from about Rs 125 at present over a period of two years -- better revenue realisation per user will offer a much-needed breather to the stressed telecom industry where debt levels have soared to Rs 7.8 lakh crore.
Bharti Airtel had posted a staggering Rs 23,045 crore net loss for the second quarter ended September 30, due to provisioning of Rs 28,450 crore in the aftermath of the SC ruling on statutory dues.
According to a government data, statutory liabilities in the case of Bharti Airtel add up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, of which Rs 21,682 crore is licence fee and another Rs 13,904.01 crore is the SUC (spectrum usage charges) dues (excluding the dues of Telenor and Tata Teleservices). MBI BAL
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