Date:17/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/06/17/stories/2005061703060100.htm

Back Tata Indicom handset for Rs 499

Our Bureau

New Delhi , June 16

THE price war in the mobile market has gone up a notch higher with Tata Indicom offering a CDMA handset, a connection, and free talk time worth Rs 1,500 all for a one-time payment of Rs 1,999. The package effectively offers a mobile handset for Rs 499.

The handset, branded as Indicom Gem, is exclusively manufactured by the Chinese company Huawei.

The move comes weeks after Reliance Infocomm launched a package offering a LG handset and free talk time worth Rs 1,000 for an upfront payment of Rs 1,999.

Motorola has also launched a GSM handset for Rs 1,500.

The only catch in the Tata offer is that the free talk time of Rs 1,500 can only be used to make local calls to another Tata Indicom subscriber.

For calls made to subscribers belonging to other operators, the existing airtime rates being offered by Tata Indicom will apply.

Indicom Gem is a compact handset that fits into the palm, and weighs just 70 g.

It is an entry-level mobile phone that comes equipped with polyphonic ringtones, group SMS, and a large capacity phonebook. It is also T-SIM enabled, thus providing additional memory for phone book and SMS. Initially, Indicom Gem will be available in Delhi and Maharashtra.