The Hindu : VSNL's new initiatives

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 20, 2003

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Business

VSNL's new initiatives

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD FEB. 19. Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL), now under the Tata fold, has stepped up retailing its ISP services, and plans to increase locations (retail) from eight to over 20 by the end of 2003-04 financial year, according to Prateek Pashine, Head-Retail Business.

Briefing presspersons on the company's plans for retail market and new initiatives, he said it made a significant departure from its earlier strategy of sale through offices only, and has now taken to the FMCG marketing strategies, of making services available through retail outlets. With the merger of 50,000 Tatanova subscribers expected in two months, VSNL's subscriber base will be 6.7 lakhs or 38 per cent market share in the 22 locations where they are present, and they are targeting a 40 per cent share this year, he said. Last year, VSNL added 1.2 lakh subscribers, and now with the new retailing initiatives, they expect to garner more subscribers, he said.

The Ad spend till March 2003 on this new initiative was Rs. 8-10 crores, he said.

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