The Hindu : Bharti Telecom plans commercial launch

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 06, 2002

Business

Business

Bharti Telecom plans commercial launch

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 5. Bharti Telecom announced its plans for a pan-Indian launch of its cellular services beginning from next Monday. "This is the most extensive roll-out anywhere in the world. The full blown commercial launch will take place in phases from Monday,'' announced the Chairman, Sunil Mittal, at a news conference here today.

Unveils new

brand strategy

The company also utilised the occasion to unveil a new brand strategy which, Mr. Mittal believed, "cuts across boundaries to face the challenge of stronger and bigger companies in the market place.'' After it is completed, Bharti's cellular footprint will cover 60 crore people although a vast majority will not be able to afford the services.

The new brand strategy is focussed on meeting the evolving needs of mobile service customers and is designed to create a stronger relevance for a large segment of potential, young customers.

The Airtel brand will support an identity that supports this strategy. It seeks to symbolise innovation, energy and friendliness. It will also seek to convey Airtel's leadership in connecting people in 16 States.

Airtel's `brand ambassadors' will be common in most States except for Tamil Nadu and Kolkata where Mr. Mittal felt a "strong local flavour is required.''

Accordingly, actor Madhavan has been selected for T.N. while Sourav Ganguly will feature in the company's promos in Kolkata.

The company undertook an extensive exercise beginning from August last year to rejuvenate the original brand.

The phased launch will begin with U.P. (West) and over the next few weeks encompass Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh among other States.

Gujarat was scheduled to among the first States, but in view of the massacres and violence, it has become the last State where Bharti's cellular services will be launched. While some vendors had migrated or left, the supply of ACs and towers was delayed.

Mr. Mittal pointedly said his company was the only one which was "dedicated to telecom and nothing but telecom.'' This was a not-so-indirect reference to his competitors who have interests in sectors as diverse as petroleum and steel.

PTI reports:

Interconnect agreement with BSNL for NLD

Bharti Group said it was close to signing an interim interconnect agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) for national long distance (NLD) and hoped that it would be able to terminate calls into the corporation's network in a months' time.

`We are close to signing an interconnect agreement with BSNL for NLD, the minutes have been signed and the formal signing is expected to take place shortly," Mr. Mittal, said.

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