Mobile service providers in the North East are clueless as to whether the licence of pre-paid connections in the region and Jammu and Kashmir, that expires in less than a month's time, would be extended or not.
The uncertainty has raised concern among lakhs of pre-paid mobile phone users in the region.
The existing licence for offering pre-paid mobile connections in NE expires on February 22 and the Centre had apprehensions on the suitability of renewing or extending the licence, especially after it was found that militants were using pre-paid connections.
However, the industry was positive that the licences would be extended.
''The present licence does expire on February 22. Though we have not received any intimation on renewal or its extension, we are expecting a positive development,'' Assam circle head of Reliance telecommunications C R Deka said.
He informed that since the later part of 2004, when pre-paid connections were re-introduced after they were lifted for some time, the licence for pre-paid connections has been awarded on an annual basis.
''The licence should be renewed in all possibility, though we could expect more terms and conditions while offering connections,'' Mr Deka said.
Public Relations Officer of Bharti Airtel Anjali Chittaranjan also sounded positive and said, ''We have not received any word from our higher-ups on discontinuing pre-paid services from mid-February, when the licence lapses.
''The licence would be renewed in all likelihood though the final word is still awaited,'' she added.
The government was contemplating ban on pre-paid connections after militants were found to be using such connections as they are more easily acquirable than post-paid connections.
Almost 80 per cent of the total mobile phone users in NE avail pre-paid connections service, with special set of rules already in place for pre-paid users in the region.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
TVS Motor bike sales up 13% in Jan
Country's third largest two-wheeler manufacturer TVS Motor Company today said it has posted a growth of 13 per cent in motorcycle sales with total two wheeler sales of 93,729 units in January 2009, against 93,385 units in the corresponding month last year.
Cumulative growth for the current financial year since April 2008 stood at two per cent.
Motorcycle sales of the company stood at 43,990 units in comparison to 38,961 units recorded in January 2008, an increase of 13 per cent over the same period previous year.
Cumulative motorcycle sales for the period April 2008 to January 2009 registered four per cent growth when compared to the same period of the previous year.
The Chennai-based company exported 14,000 units of two wheelers in January last month, compared to 13,108 units in the corresponding period of the previous year, registering a growth of seven per cent.
Exports continued its overall growth trend, registering 44 per cent increase in cumulative sales for the period April 2008 to January 2009, compared to the same period of the previous year.
Cumulative growth for the current financial year since April 2008 stood at two per cent.
Motorcycle sales of the company stood at 43,990 units in comparison to 38,961 units recorded in January 2008, an increase of 13 per cent over the same period previous year.
Cumulative motorcycle sales for the period April 2008 to January 2009 registered four per cent growth when compared to the same period of the previous year.
The Chennai-based company exported 14,000 units of two wheelers in January last month, compared to 13,108 units in the corresponding period of the previous year, registering a growth of seven per cent.
Exports continued its overall growth trend, registering 44 per cent increase in cumulative sales for the period April 2008 to January 2009, compared to the same period of the previous year.
Kyndal India inks JV with Lucal Bols
Kyndal India Private Limited, a leading liquor marketing agency, signed a Joint Venture agreement with Amsterdam- based Lucal Bols Distilleries NV to bottle and market a range of the latter's brandy and liquor products in India.
In a release here today, Kyndal said the company would invest over Rs five crore initially to market Lucas Bols' brands.
The JV covered bottling a range of brandy and liquor products from Lucal Bols in addition to distribution and marketing.
Stating the annual size of the Indian Brandy market was around 30 million cases, the company said 'Pols Brandy' would initially be targetted at South Indian market.
With Kyndal marketing the products, Lucal Bols will bring their expertise of blending, distilling and 150-years of heritage in the brandy business, the release added.
In a release here today, Kyndal said the company would invest over Rs five crore initially to market Lucas Bols' brands.
The JV covered bottling a range of brandy and liquor products from Lucal Bols in addition to distribution and marketing.
Stating the annual size of the Indian Brandy market was around 30 million cases, the company said 'Pols Brandy' would initially be targetted at South Indian market.
With Kyndal marketing the products, Lucal Bols will bring their expertise of blending, distilling and 150-years of heritage in the brandy business, the release added.
Tata Steel increases salary amidst recession
Despite a steep downturn in the net profit last quarter due to global meltdown, the world's sixth largest steel producer Tata Steel has given yet another salary hike to a section of its India operations employees.
The company, which increased the wages of around 16,000 employees on November 1 last, signed yet another wage revision agreement with the Tata Workers Union (TWU) last evening here to give a minimum guaranteed hike of Rs 1,000 per month in the basic salary of around 700 odd employees under T-grade of its Jamshedpur plant, the sole operational unit of the company in India.
The memorandum of settlement, signed by chief operating officer of the company H M Nerurkar and the president of TWU Raghunath Pandey, will also increase the rates of increment, dearness allowance, house rent allowance, leave travel concession and transport allowance.
Mr Pandey told UNI here today that the hike would be applied with retrospective effect from November 1, 2008. The company had earlier increased the wages of the employees of its subsidiary high precision equipment manufacturer Tata Growth Shop in December last year.
The company has seen a steep decline of more than 54 per cent in its net profit during the last quarter of the current fiscal.
The company, which increased the wages of around 16,000 employees on November 1 last, signed yet another wage revision agreement with the Tata Workers Union (TWU) last evening here to give a minimum guaranteed hike of Rs 1,000 per month in the basic salary of around 700 odd employees under T-grade of its Jamshedpur plant, the sole operational unit of the company in India.
The memorandum of settlement, signed by chief operating officer of the company H M Nerurkar and the president of TWU Raghunath Pandey, will also increase the rates of increment, dearness allowance, house rent allowance, leave travel concession and transport allowance.
Mr Pandey told UNI here today that the hike would be applied with retrospective effect from November 1, 2008. The company had earlier increased the wages of the employees of its subsidiary high precision equipment manufacturer Tata Growth Shop in December last year.
The company has seen a steep decline of more than 54 per cent in its net profit during the last quarter of the current fiscal.
R-Com launches GSM services in Delhi
Reliance Communications (R-Com), part of the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG), Sunday launched its GSM services in the national capital.
The Delhi launch comes after the company successfully started GSM services in 11,000 towns in the country.
“We got the licence for GSM services last year and within 11 months the company has launched the services in almost the entire country,” C.S. Rana, R-Com regional head - Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan circles, told IANS.
The low-tariff and affordable services are not only appealing to the masses, but also promising better coverage, Rana said.
Continuing the trend, R-Com will offer the initial subscription at Rs.49.
For a Rs.115 package, customer will get new connection with 450-minute free calling time. It also offers unlimited free Reliance-to-Reliance local calls at night.
The company has set up around 950 new towers for the GSM launch and will share infrastructure from about 850 existing towers that are used for CDMA services.
“We have a total of around 1,800 towers in Delhi for the GSM services launched today (Sunday) and will take the number upward with increased necessity,” Rana said.
Asked about R-Com's promotional offers being termed as temporary measures by competitors, Rana said: “It's a myth and misnomer that these are free loaders. We get good subscribers and they will be with us because of the quality of service we promise to offer.”
"Moreover, the network of most of our competitors is congested and we assure clarity to our consumers and will work hard to satisfy them," he said.
The company has so far launched only pre-paid services and plans to launch post-paid services in two-three weeks.
R-Com reported 2.7 percent rise in its profit for the third quarter this year. The company added 5.3 million mobile users during the quarter, taking its subscription base to 61.3 million at the end of December, 50 percent up from a the year earlier.
The Delhi launch comes after the company successfully started GSM services in 11,000 towns in the country.
“We got the licence for GSM services last year and within 11 months the company has launched the services in almost the entire country,” C.S. Rana, R-Com regional head - Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan circles, told IANS.
The low-tariff and affordable services are not only appealing to the masses, but also promising better coverage, Rana said.
Continuing the trend, R-Com will offer the initial subscription at Rs.49.
For a Rs.115 package, customer will get new connection with 450-minute free calling time. It also offers unlimited free Reliance-to-Reliance local calls at night.
The company has set up around 950 new towers for the GSM launch and will share infrastructure from about 850 existing towers that are used for CDMA services.
“We have a total of around 1,800 towers in Delhi for the GSM services launched today (Sunday) and will take the number upward with increased necessity,” Rana said.
Asked about R-Com's promotional offers being termed as temporary measures by competitors, Rana said: “It's a myth and misnomer that these are free loaders. We get good subscribers and they will be with us because of the quality of service we promise to offer.”
"Moreover, the network of most of our competitors is congested and we assure clarity to our consumers and will work hard to satisfy them," he said.
The company has so far launched only pre-paid services and plans to launch post-paid services in two-three weeks.
R-Com reported 2.7 percent rise in its profit for the third quarter this year. The company added 5.3 million mobile users during the quarter, taking its subscription base to 61.3 million at the end of December, 50 percent up from a the year earlier.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
