DNA Money - COO of Vodafone believes while 4G is great tech, even 3G is yet to realise full potential in the country

From : DNA Money
On : 4 April 2013

Divya Bhaskar - Inflation to hit telecom industry, tariff likely to go up

From Divya Bhaskar

Translation:

Inflation to hit telecom industry, tariff likely to go up Birju Shah, Ahmedabad Rising inflation is taking a toll on telecom industry. It would not be surprising if call tariffs witness a hike in near future, as telcos are fighting against increasing input costs. Now telcos are compelled to cut cost and also they have zeroed down on slashing discounts too. However, on the other hand, in order to propel the momentum in mobile telephony, Vodafone has in fact reduced price of data services from 10p/kb to 2p/kb, which is 80% reduction. In Gujarat 3G subscribers have steeply increased and around 1 lakh blackberry subscribers are using this service. According to Brajesh Bajpai, CEO, Vodafone West Ltd (Gujarat Circle),due to rising inflation chances of further cut in tariff is very faint. Moreover, smaller player, who ignited a price war to tap more market share, are now out and in current financial year the spectrum cost too will be a key factor on input cost front. So, therefore, a price rise is obvious. Interestingly, in order to combat the increasing cost, now customized discount offers are born and through which customers can use mobile services as per their needs. Since last 15 years mobile telecom industry has seen a price cut which is now going to vanish. Though Q4 of 2012-13 is reasonably good, there are several challenges for telecos. In Gujarat, Vodafone has 1.60 crore subscribers and the daily usage stands at 21 crore minutes. With its wider and deeper network, Vodafone covers 97.4% of total population of Gujarat. Vodafone has over 7000 towers in Gujarat and it continues to weighs more on network expansion along with service quality. 4G’s success depends on handsets “There is much gaga over 4G since a long but the success of 4G is heavily depended on the availability of 4G handsets. There are many things to be clarified regarding 4G. The arrival of 4G will certainly boost 3G also.”- Mr. Bajpai

Vodafone launches women-run ‘Angel Stores’ in Gujarat

From : The Hindu Business Line

Ahmedabad, Nov 6:   

 

In a first of its kind in the country, Vodafone India on Tuesday announced the launch of ‘Angel Stores’, retail outlets run only by women employees, in Ahmedabad and Vadodara

Calling it a s step towards women’s empowerment, the company said these outlets would be managed and run completely by women employees. This initiative is in line with Vodafone’s endeavour of encouraging diversity and inclusion at workplace. Women will run services like security, pantry, customer service and management, Brajesh Bajpai, Business Head, Gujarat Circle said.

Vodafone would launch similar outlets in Rajkot and Surat shortly.

Vodafone India commenced operations in 1994 when its predecessor Hutchison Telecom acquired the cellular license for Mumbai. The company with revenues of over Rs 32,000 crore has operations across the country with over 15.3 crore customers

Vodafone Gujarat Empowers Differently

From : The Newsletter of the Blind People's Association (India)

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Navratri extravaganza in Ahmedabad!

From : The Times of India

Navratri celebrations came packed with a helicopter ride, hot air balloon ride, LED dandiya sticks and fun-filled moments

The 'Fly to Ambaji in a helicopter during Navratri' contest drew unprecedented participation this year. Customers just had to dial *121#, choose their best offer and become eligible for the on-air contest on a popular radio station. All correct answers assured them a helicopter ride to Ambaji for a special darshan.

In addition to the helicopter contest, Vodafone Gujarat also came out with many first-of-its kind innovations this Navratri. Vodafone sponsored hot air balloon ride that took Vodafone customers 80 feet in the air for a joyride. Not only did it give them a panoramic view of the garba celebrations at the picturesque Karnavati Club lawns, but also a fantastic opportunity to capture lifelong memories in their cameras.

Brajesh Bajpai, Business Head, Gujarat, Vodafone India says, "Our helicopter ride to Ambaji during Navratri is an activity that people are well aware of, now. But we wanted to take Navratri activities and the festive spirit to newer heights this year. So we brought the hot air balloon ride for the first time to Ahmedabad, offering a bird's eye view of the city and garba celebrations to our esteemed customers. Offering such once-in-a-lifetime chance is our way of delivering something innovative every year."

Another innovation was the introduction of Vodafone branded LED dandiya sticks for the first time in Ahmedabad. Khelaiyas had a gala time as they matched their steps with the flashing of the LED dandiya sticks.

Besides Ahmedabad, Vodafone also associated with all the prominent garba venues in all major cities of Gujarat and engaged with its customers.

Dhol Baaje

From : The Times of India

Navratri Celebrations with a Hot Air Baloon Ride

From : The Times of India

The Navratri festive spirit was in full swing as dance enthusiasts watched a hot air balloon go up in the sky at the 'Adani Shantigram presents The Times of India Shanku's Dandiya 2012'. Almost 15000 entries were registered at the event, and the organizers were happy that for the first time ever they gave Gujaratis an opportunity to view garba from a gigantic hot air balloon — 80 feet above ground level. Manoj Chaudhary, director, Shanku's Water Park says, "For the first time, this was truly an interesting innovation for the people of Ahmedabad as they sat in the lit hot air balloon."

The idea was sponsored by Vodafone and powered by Shanku's Water Park and XPERTZ events conceptualized this event at the Karnavati club. The TOI Shanku's Dandiya had garba dancers enjoying their garba and from the response, the organizers have promised to wow the audiences again every year like this. Devang Shah, director, XPERTZ, Advertising, Events & Promotions says, "We always believe in getting innovations to our events that brings the best mileage to our sponsors. Shanku's Dandiya has a great recall value and last Sunday, our idea of hot air balloon ride mesmerized the crowds on SG Highway. And Karnavati Club became the ideal platform for this activity."

Navratri Fever Catches On

From : The Times of India