AIRTEL EXECUTIVES
Airtel, Jio, Vodafone Idea push long-term plans at old rates to retain users
After announcing telecom pack price hikes of up to 25% effective July 3-4, telcos are urging subscribers to recharge long-term plans at old prices to reduce customer attrition. Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) are promoting 365-day plans priced between Rs 2,545 and Rs 3,099 through in-app promotions.
Jio, Airtel pricing strategy shows they still target Vi’s 2G users: Analysts
Analysts suggest that Vodafone Idea could encounter difficulties in retaining its 2G subscribers, as recent tariff increases indicate that competitors like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel remain focused on attracting Vi's low-end customers. Reliance Jio has maintained its rates for 4G feature phones, while Bharti Airtel has made minimal adjustments to its basic plans, highlighting their strategies to capture Vi's 2G user base.
DEG-IFC-ADB trio eyes renewable energy firm Fourth Partner
A group of German investor DEG, along with the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), are set to invest $300 million to acquire a controlling interest in Fourth Partner Energy, a renewable energy firm based in Hyderabad.
Tariff hikes may slow migration of feature phone users to smartphones: Experts
Recent steep tariff hikes by major Indian telecom companies are set to bolster the base of 4G feature phone users, shielding them from significant cost increases compared to smartphone users. This move is expected to slow down the migration to 5G smartphones. Industry experts suggest that while data consumption among 5G users remains strong, the tariff adjustments may lead smartphone brands to offer bundled data deals to spur sales. Overall, the impact on consumer behavior post-hike is anticipated to be moderated by entrenched data usage patterns.
Bharti Airtel, Jio target share price pricing in 15-20% tariff hike: Gaurav Malhotra
In terms of valuations, telecom stocks have moved up and are trading a little bit ahead of their long-term averages, says Gaurav Malhotra. He says the Street is quite positively viewing this whole tariff increase. Do note that the last major increase happened in 2021, so it has almost been three years since the last increase happened.
5G spectrum auctions: Bharti Airtel likely largest bidder, govt mops up around Rs 11,300 crore
India's second 5G spectrum auction concluded around Wednesday noon after seven rounds, lasting just over a day, with the government collecting approximately Rs 11,300 crore. Bharti Airtel is likely the largest bidder, acquiring airwaves in the sub-GHz 900 MHz band as well as in the 1800 and 2100 MHz bands. Market leader Reliance Jio likely bought 5G bandwidth in the 1800 MHz band.
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Better to own a set of stocks from the digital ecosystem rather than betting on one stock? 15 stocks with upside potential of upto 48%
Few day’s back there was an issue with the telecom provider and the services stopped for some time. Now which would be the companies which got impacted the most, the telecom service provider, the answer is no. As a customer one would not get any reduction in the monthly billing because services were down for some time. The companies which may have got impacted would be a platform company on which one orders food, such as a swiggy or zomato. The reason, in the peak time of demand, a customer is not able to order food online due to internet service being down, that demand will not come back when the internet is back. But the other platform company which sells insurance was also not impacted. The reason is, if one was planning to buy an insurance policy and there is no internet, the demand will get postponed not get extinguished. The digital ecosystem is making things simple but it is yet complicated when it comes to investing.
Telcos bid for 5G worth ₹11,000 crore on first day of India's second spectrum sale
All three private carriers — Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea – are believed to have bid for sub-GHz (900 MHz) and select mid-band airwaves (1800 MHz, 2100 MHz) as they look to bolster their respective 5G spectrum holdings. High-band 5G airwaves in the 26 GHz band appear to have been given a miss on the opening day of the airwaves sale. In this year’s auction, the government has put 10.5 GHz of 5G spectrum in eight bands — 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3.3 GHz and 26 GHz — worth around Rs 96,238.45 crore at reserve prices on sale.
5G auction: All you need to know about Rs 96,000 crore spectrum battle
5G auction: India is gearing up for its latest 5G airwaves auction starting Tuesday, valued at over Rs 96,000 crore. Telecom giants like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea will compete for crucial radio frequencies essential for 5G services. The previous auction in August 2022 set a record with the government earning Rs 1.5 lakh crore.
Centre puts guidelines for curbing pesky call menace in public domain; invites comments
According to estimates, India ranks among the largest markets for SMS phishing, amid a growing mobile user base and low phone tariffs. Some industry estimates say one of every 12 people is vulnerable every month to phishing. More than 120-150 million phishing messages are sent every month, with 60-75 million unique citizens vulnerable to attacks. Roughly 300,000 people get scammed, but only 35,000-45,000 report these incidents.
Vodafone PLC likely to sell a 9.94% stake in Indus Towers on Wednesday via block deals
This could become India's second-largest block deal, following the ITC transaction in March, where British American Tobacco Plc sold a 3.5% stake in ITC through an open market transaction for approximately Rs 17,485 crore. Buyers in the block deal will have a 90-day lock-in period. Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, BNP Paribas, and Jefferies are the placement agents for the transaction.
Vodafone sells 18% stake in Indus Towers for Rs 15,300 crore to repay debt
Vodafone PLC said it has sold 484.7 million shares in Indus Towers and raised Rs 15,300 crore (€1.7 billion) in gross proceeds which will be used to repay debt. Shares of Indus Towers fell 6% to Rs 320.60, while Vodafone Idea stock were trading 2% higher at Rs 17.25.
Bharti Airtel hikes stake by 1% in Indus Towers as Vodafone offloads stake
On Wednesday, telecom operator Bharti Airtel increased its stake in Indus Towers by 1% through purchases in large block deals from the open market. This move comes as Vodafone PLC sold off 19% of its equity in Indus Towers in significant transactions.
Vi dials lenders for Rs 23,000 cr term loans, seeks Rs 10,000 cr in bank guarantees
Vodafone Idea (Vi) proposes borrowing Rs 23,000 crore in term loans and seeks Rs 10,000 crore in bank guarantees to enhance its telecom infrastructure and compete with Reliance Jio and Airtel.
Under govt pressure, telcos begin trials of caller ID display service to curb spam calls
Telecom operators have started trials for caller ID services in Mumbai and Haryana following pressure from the government and TRAI. The CNAP service aims to display the caller's name during incoming calls to curb spam and fraud calls.
Jio-SES JV Orbit Connect gets IN-SPACe authorisation to enter satcom space
Orbit Connect India, a joint venture between Reliance Jio Platforms and SES, has obtained crucial landing rights and market access authorizations from IN-SPACe, India's space regulator. This move positions Jio against Bharti Enterprises-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, Elon Musk's Starlink, and Amazon's Kuiper in India's satellite communications sector. Jio is also seeking trial satellite spectrum from the DoT for advanced trials on its nationwide satellite broadband network, aiming for an early allocation to begin trials.
Fino Payments Bank eyes tripling digital banking revenue share by FY25
Fino Payments Bank sees an opportunity in the digital banking space after Paytm Payments Bank's exit. To capitalise on this, they're ramping up their digital offerings, aiming to grow their digital revenue share from 5-6% in FY24 to 15% this fiscal year. Since December, Fino has deployed around 14,000 QR codes which reported 300,000 transactions valued at Rs 33 crore.
Nisaba Godrej quits VIP Board over differences
Nisaba Godrej resigned as independent director from VIP Industries board due to differences in leadership accountability and succession planning, effective June 3rd, 2024. In a letter to Chairman Dilip Piramal, she praised the company but expressed diverging views. VIP Industries, a luggage category leader in India, faces challenges amidst reports of potential promoter stake sale, competition from Samsonite and Safari Industries, and declining profits despite a 10% rise in net sales last fiscal.
Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel's returns on investment set to double in 4 years
Macquarie Research estimates Airtel's ROCE (return on capital employed) to surge to 10-19% during FY25-28 from 2-6% in the last more than a decade, aided by tariff hikes, better subscriber mix and capex moderation. Airtel had invested $32 billion in FY24, generating a return of 8%. Over the next four years, while investments will drop to $28 billion per year, returns will likely more than double to 19%, Macquarie data showed.
Vodafone Idea must clear Indus Towers dues to avail tower company's new services: Sunil Mittal
Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal emphasized that Vodafone Idea must settle all past dues with Indus Towers to access new services like 5G. However, Mittal mentioned that the Indus board will remain flexible with its decisions even if Vi makes a significant payment and provides a schedule for the remaining amount. Airtel is a major stakeholder in Indus Towers.
5G adoption on a roll in India, yet tariff upside may be minimal: India Ratings
India's 5G subscriber base is expected to rise to 20-25% within a year, but significant tariff hikes remain uncertain, says Ind-Ra. While telcos are better positioned for tariff increases, global trends show no major premium for 5G over 4G. Ind-Ra maintains a neutral sector outlook, noting investment peaks and potential market share shifts towards Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
DoT dials cops to stop network gear theft
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a directive to tackle rampant theft of critical network gear causing Rs 800 crore losses for telcos, disrupting 4G/5G expansions and affecting mobile coverage quality.
Airtel's $100b market capitalisation reflects a stable economy under a solid leader: Sunil Mittal
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, emphasized that Airtel's resurgence post the challenges posed by Reliance Jio's entry and the AGR ruling showcased India's stable economy and supportive policies under strong leadership. Reflecting on Airtel's path to the $100-billion milestone, Mittal highlighted the company's resilience amidst industry disruptions. He noted that Airtel's achievement as the first-generation Indian company to reach this milestone was significant, especially considering the competitive landscape.
Airtel Africa’s Dutch hold-company completes $550 million bond repayment
During Airtel Africa’s IPO back in June 2019, the (Airtel Africa) Group had $2,719 million of external debt at the HoldCo level, which had resulted in significant exposure to currency fluctuations and the reliance on upstreaming funds to cover both interest costs and the principal repayment.
Vodafone Idea plans to open more retail outlets: Executive
Empowered by a recent infusion of equity funding, Vodafone Idea (Vi) aims to expand its network of retail outlets throughout this fiscal year. This strategic move is designed to bolster sales and enhance customer loyalty, essential for the financially constrained telecom operator to heighten its competitive stance against formidable adversaries like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
Google Cloud to offer cloud solutions to Airtel customers
"We are happy to partner with Google Cloud and jointly address this market opportunity with secure and scalable Cloud solutions for government, enterprises, and emerging businesses," Bharti Airtel Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Gopal Vittal said.
Voda Idea fund raising important for healthy competition: Nokia executive
Loss-making Vodafone Idea owes some Rs 3,000 crore to Nokia for 4G gear that were supplied earlier, according to market trackers. The telco received board approval in February to raise Rs 45,000 crore through a mix of equity and debt by June.
Gopal Vittal asks Airtel executives to be on ground today to fix customer issues
Bharti Airtel's managing director, Gopal Vittal, has called on the company's 19,000 employees across India to cancel business meetings on Tuesday and spend the entire day with customers to address service challenges they face. This is part of a national brand-building drive to position Airtel as a customer-obsessed telco, seeking direct market feedback on its 2G, 4G, and 5G mobile operations and home broadband services.
Elara Capital India appoints Manoj Kohli as non-executive chairman of board
“Elara Capital will extensively benefit from Manoj’s extensive business and leadership skills to help strengthen our business focus. His guidance will be invaluable to us to further strengthen our client offerings and achieve our growth plans,” said Raj Bhatt, chairman, Elara Capital. Kohli has held leadership positions, including as managing director of Bharti Airtel.
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