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INDIAN TELECOM INDUSTRY
As of mid-2016, India was the second-largest telecommunications market in the world, and was poised to
grow at 10.3 per cent year-on-year to reach $103.9 billion by 2020.11
According to the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI), the total telecom subscriber base in India stood at 1,023 million, of which 1,010
million were mobile subscribers (see Exhibit 1).12
The shift from voice to data was evident. Data
consumption on handheld devices was expected to generate market revenue of $37 billion by 2017, which
was complemented by the growth in smartphone subscriptions, and that was expected to reach 810 million
by 2021. The last quarter of 2015 was a milestone: India saw 13.9 million units of 4G-enabled devices
being shipped into the country, surpassing shipments of 3G-enabled devices for the first time.13
History
After India became independent in 1947, all foreign companies in the Indian telecom industry were
nationalized to form posts, telephone, and telegraph (PTT), which was governed by the Ministry of
Communication. The actual progression of the telecom industry started in 1985 when the Department of
Telecommunications (DOT) was established.14
It provided basic telephone operations in areas other than
Mumbai and Delhi.15
The liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991 and the establishment of the National
Telecommunications Policy in 199416
paved the way for the entry of many private services providers, and
created an indispensable need for independent regulation. On February 20, 1997, the TRAI was
established,17
which transformed a previously government-owned sector to a multi-operator, multi-service,
open competitive market. The New National Telecom policy (NTP-99) of 199918
opened up all segments
of the telecom industry for private sector participation (see Exhibit 2), and led to India’s central government
establishing Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in 2000.19
Segments
The Indian telecom industry was broadly divided into two segments: wireline communication, and fixed
line, which focused mainly on landlines. The landline segment had 25.22 million subscribers and was
dominated by public telecom operators such as BSNL, followed by private players.
Wireless communication, or mobile communication, was the largest segment with 1,026.61 million subscribers
in February 2016. The NTP-99 changed the market structure of mobile communications, which led to the
domination of private operators in this segment. The major operators in the wireless segment were Bharti Airtel
Limited (Airtel), Vodafone Mobile Services Limited (Vodafone), Idea Cellular (Idea), Reliance Communication
(RComm), and BSNL/Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) (see Exhibit 3).
The 1 billion wireless telecom subscribers could be further divided into two segments: those who subscribed
to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and those who used Code Division Multiple
Access (CDMA). GSM, developed in 1982, was a wireless digital phone technology. Of all wireless
subscribers in the Indian telecom market, 80 per cent belonged to this segment. The Subscriber Identity
Module (SIM), which was an integral feature of GSM, enabled users to switch between mobile operators.20
CDMA, which was developed in 1995, was more popular in rural regions, where customers looked for
more affordable schemes and low-priced phones. Although CDMA technology was superior to GSM in
terms of voice capacity and data capability, with CDMA technology, it was not possible to switch between
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mobile operators, which was one of the primary reasons why consumers preferred GSM. Hence, GSM
technology made the cost of switching very low for consumers. Only 20 per cent of all wireless subscribers
belonged to this segment.21
By the start of 2016, the major CDMA operators in the Indian telecom market
were RComm, Tata Teleservices, and BSNL (see Exhibit 4).
Teledensity
One of the most cited metrics of telecom penetration in the Indian market was telephone density, or
teledensity, the number of telephone connections per 100 people. Teledensity had increased substantially
in both urban and rural Indian markets from 2007 to 2015 (see Exhibit 5). One of the major reasons for the
huge gap between the urban and rural density was the massive investment required to provide telecom
services in remote areas.
Foreign Direct Investments
In 2013, the Indian telecom commission raised the maximum percentage of foreign direct investment (FDI)
from 74 per cent to 100 per cent, in an attempt to encourage foreign investors to invest in the Indian telecom
industry.22
According to data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, the industry
had received FDI of $18.3 billion from April 2000 to January 2015, which contributed to 7 per cent of
overall FDI inflow. Overseas companies such as Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Foxconn had planned to set up
manufacturing plants in India.
Government Initiatives
Foreign investors were attracted by the Indian government’s Make in India program, launched in 2015. The
program promoted the local manufacturing of smartphones, and led to a 23 per cent year-on-year increase in
smartphone sales in the third quarter of 2016, much higher than the global growth of 5 per cent, according to
Counterpoint Research.23
This initiative encouraged global brands such as Samsung to increase their plant
capacity, and attracted other global brands, such as Gionee, LG, and Huawei, to manufacture smartphones in
India. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the TRAI, and the DOT had written a series of
policies and entered into various partnership models such as memoranda of understanding and public–private
partnerships to set up and enhance broadband connectivity in urban and rural India. These policies and
partnerships were expected to encourage consolidation in the industry (see Exhibit 6).
Regulatory Framework
The responsibility for formulating developmental policies for the accelerated growth of telecommunication
services lay with the DOT, a department of the Government of India’s Ministry of Communications and
Information Technology. The DOT’s vision was to accelerate socio-economic development by providing
secure, reliable, affordable, and high-quality coverage of telecommunication services anytime and
anywhere. It put special emphasis on increasing coverage in rural and remote areas in an effort to bridge
the digital divide.24
The wireless transmission of all users in the country was monitored by the DOT through
wireless regulatory measures.
The TRAI was established in 1997 to regulate telecom services, including establishing and revising tariffs.
The TRAI’s mission was to create a favourable environment for growth. It provided the required direction,
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mentorship, and control, which facilitated the evolution of Indian telecom market from a government-
owned monopoly in 1990 to a multi-operator, multi-service, open market.25
The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, set up in 2000, had the power to arbitrate any
dispute between a licensor and a licensee, between a service provider and a group of consumers, and
between two or more service providers.26
It was responsible for hearing and disposing of appeals against
any decision, direction, or order of the TRAI.
Major Competitors in the Wireless Market
The Indian telecom market was populated by as many as 13 players, but as of August 2016, more than 70 per cent
of the revenueshare ofthetelecommarket was captured bythe topthree operators: Airtel (30.17 percent),Vodafone
(21.61 per cent), and Idea (18.79 per cent) (see Exhibit 7).27
The monthly average revenue per user increased from
$1.82 in the quarter ending December 2015 to $1.90 in the quarter ending March 2016 (see Exhibit 8).
Bharti Airtel Limited
Airtel, an Indian global telecommunications services company based in New Delhi, was, as of March 2016,
the world’s third-largest mobile network operator with 325 million subscribers globally,28
and the largest
in India at 255 million subscribers.29
It operated in 18 countries across South Asia, Africa, and the Channel
Islands. Airtel provided GSM, 3G, and 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile services; fixed-line
broadband; and voice services (or a combination of them) depending on the market needs and potential. It
was a market leader in terms of both mobile subscribers and revenues.
Anticipating a price war following Jio’s commercial launch, Airtel had invested in analytics to respond to
Jio’s tariff cuts in select segments. In August 2016, Airtel pre-emptively slashed its 4G mobile Internet
tariffs by nearly 80 per cent on its prepaid connections.30
Airtel also offered Wynk, its own suite of music,
games, and movie-streaming apps on iOS and Android, although its content was limited compared with the
rich content that Jio promised to deliver.
Vodafone Mobile Services Limited
Vodafone offered both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India, on the basis
of 900- and 1800-megahertz (Mhz) digital GSM technology. As of March 2016, it was the second-largest
mobile network operator in India with approximately 198 million subscribers.31
It launched 3G services in
India in the first quarter of 2011, and proposed to spend $500 million on its 3G network within two years.32
Vodafone introduced its 4G mobile Internet services with the launch in Kozhikode in January 2016.
Although it planned to operate across nine circles, Vodafone possessed spectrum in only eight circles and
thus planned to acquire spectrum at the September 2016 auction or through spectrum trading or sharing.
Idea Cellular
Idea was an Indian mobile network operator based in Mumbai. It was a pan-India integrated GSM operator
offering 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile services. As of March 2016, Idea was India’s third-largest mobile operator
with a subscriber base of 176 million subscribers.33
By August 2016, its 4G services were available in 750
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cities across 10 telecom circles. However, with a total of only 271 MHz 4G spectrum at its disposal, it
lagged behind Airtel (at 770 MHz) and Jio (at 596 MHz). Like Vodafone, Idea planned to purchase
spectrum in the September 2016 auction. Further, it had not yet developed content offerings comparable to
those of Jio or Airtel.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL)
Incorporated on September 15, 2000, BSNL was an Indian state-owned telecommunications company
headquartered in New Delhi. Its primary responsibility was to provide telecom services and network
management throughout the country. With more than 60 per cent market share in the fixed telephony and
broadband services, BSNL was the fifth largest mobile telephony provider in India with a customer base of
101.11 million as of March 2016.34
However, the company’s revenues and market share had plunged from
2007 to 2015 due to intense competition.
3G Services in India
In 2010, India’s telecom industry saw a major shift in consumer preference from voice to data offerings.
Telecom operators saw high-speed data as the next big thing and spent $10 billion to acquire spectrum
rights.35
Despite much hype about 3G, consumer satisfaction was limited.
The high spectrum prices for 3G networks and the evolution of superior technologies such as 4G and Wi-
Fi raised concerns among telecommunication companies. As a result, investments for scaling up 3G
services were limited to only a few cities. In 2014, only 165,000 towers out of the 550,000 towers cell
towers in India were 3G-enabled.36
The inability to invest in 3G networks was also attributed to the high
taxes on the licence fee (8 per cent) and on the spectrum usage charge (6 per cent), and various taxes on
equipment imposed at both state and central government levels.
Despite the increase in average data usage per customer per month, the increased usage contributed only 17.1
per cent to the average revenues of telecommunication companies in December 2014.37
The innovations in the
device ecosystem around Wi-Fi and wireless broadband were skewed toward 4G and superior technologies;
thus, the shift from 3G service offerings to 4G was inevitable by Indian telecom players.
4G LTE Services in India
Indian telecom operators had been gearing up for the battle for supremacy in 4G LTE 2010 when the DOT
auctioned 4G spectrum in the 2300 MHz band on a pan-India basis. Infotel won the 2300 MHz spectrum
in all 22 circles. Infotel was soon acquired by Jio, thus paving the way for RIL’s second foray into telecom.
In 2015, to broaden its spectrum portfolio, Jio bought spectrum in the 1800 MHz and 850 MHz bands; the
latter band was highly efficient in terms of coverage, compared with other spectrums. In early 2016, Jio
entered into a spectrum-sharing agreement with RComm, which gave it access to the 850 MHz in all 22
circles. The unification of spectrum holdings across 850 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2300 MHz enabled Jio to
provide a seamless 4G network with large capacity.
In the 2010 auction, Airtel won 4G spectrum in only four out of 22 circles. With the launch of 4G services
in Bangalore in 2012, it became the first 4G telecom operator in India. In 2016, as a result of Airtel’s
acquisition of Qualcomm in 2013,38
Augere in 2015,39
Aircel’s 4G airwaves in the 2300 MHz Band
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spectrum, and Videocon’s 1800 MHz band spectrum,40
Airtel dethroned Jio as the telecom operator with
the largest LTE spectrum—769.9 MHz—and gained access to all 22 circles.41
Ranked second in terms of subscriber base in 2015, Vodafone held 301.8 MHz spectrum spread across nine
circles and planned to roll out 4G services in all nine circles by the end of 2016. Close on its heels, Idea
owned 270.7 MHz 4G spectrum in 10 circles by 2016. State-run BSNL also planned to roll out 4G service
in the 14 telecom circles in 2016 where it held spectrum in the 2500 MHz band.42
Lastly, the new entity
formed by the merger of RComm and Aircel in September 2016 was positioned to have the second-highest
spectrum volume, including a significant amount of 4G spectrum.43
Even though Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea had a sizeable amount of 4G spectrum, they still maintained 2G,
3G, and 4G for each tower, which required supporting backend infrastructure and staff. In other words, they
used the 1800 MHz spectrum for 2G, while Jio also used the same spectrum to run its VoLTE network and
high-speed 4G Internet, which was more efficient and, hence, economical.
In late September 2016, the first spectrum auction was held since Jio’s launch. The top three spectrum holders—
Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone—were vying for spectrum in the 2300 MHz band, amid intense competition from all
major telecommunications companies (telcos) for the 1800 MHz band44
(see Exhibits 9 and 10).
RELIANCE INFOCOMM
On December 28, 2002, Mukesh Ambani unveiled Reliance Infocomm, a new entrant in the telecom market
that offered call rates at less than a cent per minute, free incoming calls, and value-added services at no
charge. In addition, through its Monsoon Hungama scheme, the company offered Samsung and LG
multimedia phones costing $150 with a down payment of just $7.50.45
This offering led to a disruption in
the industry as everyone, from the neighbourhood vegetable vendor to rickshaw-pullers in small towns to
high-traffic-generating users, owned a Reliance mobile phone. Within just 10 days, Reliance had signed up
1 million subscribers, and, in doing so, made a big impact on the Indian mobile telephony market. By March
2004, the company’s subscriber base had soared to almost 7.3 million subscribers, making it India’s largest
mobile player at the time.
In June 2005, the demerger of Reliance came with a “non-compete clause,” which meant that Mukesh could
not enter the telecommunications business for the next 10 years. The telecommunications business was
taken over by Anil Ambani (younger brother of Mukesh) and operated under RComm. Although RComm
had initial success, it could not perform well, as the competition intensified leading up to 2010.
RELIANCE JIO INFOCOMM
In May 2010, the brothers agreed to bury their differences and do away with the non-compete pact. Mukesh
forayed into the telecommunications business again in 2010 by acquiring Infotel Broadband’s services,
which at $8 million was the successful bidder in all 22 telecom circles at the 2010 telecom spectrum auction.
Reliance Jio Infocomm was thus launched.
Jio entered into a partnership with Anil’s debt-laden Reliance, gaining access to a solid broadband network,
which enabled Jio to more quickly roll out a 4G network. Jio signed a comprehensive sharing agreement
with Airtel to share resources such as an optical fibre network, towers, and a submarine cable network. Jio
was also a part of two international submarine cable networks, the Bay of Bengal Gateway and Asia–
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Africa–Europe 1, to increase transparency, enhance connectivity, and provide additional capacity and speed
for international traffic.
Mukesh’s desire was to not only replicate the Reliance Infocomm success of 2003 but also do it better. He
knew it would be much tougher for Reliance to disrupt the market the way it had done in 2002. By the start
of 2016, consumer preferences had shifted from voice to data, and it was a battle being fought by multiple
players flexing their financial muscle. Pricing was again the major point, as the idea was to capture the
maximum market by luring consumers with low prices. Not only did Mukesh need to contend with an
explosion in mobile telephony and competitors thinking equally fast, he also knew his company would have
to prepare for a battle to sustain profitability. “Going by the Reliance Jio model, breaking even in the next
five years looks difficult,” said the promoter of a leading telecommunications firm that had entered into an
agreement with Jio to share infrastructure.46
Marketing Strategy of Reliance Jio Infocomm
Jio’s marketing strategy revolved around comprehensively addressing all the needs of telecom customers—
namely, to stay connected with each other, find information, access entertainment services, and conduct
business online, while focusing on delivering high levels of customer satisfaction.47
Largest Optical Fibre Network and Fibre-Connected Towers
Fibre-connected networks had 10 times more data and voice capacity than towers connected by microwave
backhaul (i.e., where a radio link moved voice, video, and data traffic between distributed sites and a
centralized point). In September 2016, Jio had India’s longest fibre network, at 270,000 kilometres, and
most of its networks were fibre-connected. In contrast Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea had 200,000, 160,000,
and 100,000 kilometres of fibre network, respectively. Jio partnered with Hindustan Futuristic
Communications Limited to execute and manage the optical fibre network.
Bundled Applications
Jio’s key offerings were 4G services on a pan-India level, voice telephony, and “peripheral services such
as instant messaging, live television, movies on demand, news, streaming music, and a digital payments
platform.”48
Also part of Jio’s extensive application portfolio were services such as Digital Education, a
platform for knowledge crowd-sourcing that connected students and teachers from remote areas, and Digital
Healthcare, which enabled users to connect directly with a medical practitioner. Jio planned to bundle these
offerings with bandwidth and talk time, in contrast with its rivals who offered separate data and voice packs.
However, the quality of voice telephony could be a possible area of concern (see Exhibit 11).49
The LYF Smartphone
In 2016, India had 220 million smartphone users, with less than 30 per cent penetration.50
Jio had the dual
task of migrating customers from other networks and increasing the number of smartphone users. The
company was banking heavily on its apps to migrate customers on its newly launched smartphone brand,
LYF, to expand the market for smartphones in India. LYF would carry a wide range of feature-laden
applications and was priced as low as $44 for the basic version and up to more than $200 for a more
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advanced version. All LYF smartphones included a Jio preview offer whereby customers would receive a
free Jio SIM and unlimited free Internet and calling for one year, although this offer was challenged by
Jio’s competitors. LYF was to compete in a market populated by more than 150 smartphone brands.
Distribution
Prior to its launch, Jio had appointed 50 customer acquisition and relationship managers who hired teams
that would each attempt to sign up 1 million users in the first two months. Jio aimed to sign up 100 million
users in the first 100 days. Ahead of the Jio launch, Reliance Retail, the official distributor of LYF phones,
which had more than 3,200 stores across India, signed distribution pacts with top mobile handset makers,
such as LG, Lenovo, Micromax, and Intex for the sale of VoLTE handsets.51
Reliance Retail had also
launched a fashion e-commerce site, AJIO, thereby subtly extending the Jio brand. Reliance Retail was
keen to generate sales through this digital channel, which would complement its retail business.
Price
A customer could buy from Jio adequate data for calling and Internet surfing at a price of $7–$8,
approximately one-third of the existing market rates. This pricing represented a potential threat to Airtel,
Idea, and Vodafone, which had already dropped their prices in anticipation of Jio’s pricing strategy (see
Exhibit 12). Many experts wondered about the possibility of a price war.
Promotion
On December 25, 2015, the Indian film actor Shah Rukh Khan was appointed as Jio’s brand ambassador.52
Two days later, on the eve of the birthday of founder chairman, Dhirubhai Ambani, RIL launched pan-India
Jio 4G services for its employees at a function that was telecast live to its more than 1,000 locations across
India. This launch generated much publicity for the company.
Home Delivery of SIM Cards
Jio started free home delivery of Jio SIM cards in December 2016, in an effort to help the company increase
its acquisition rate. Jio also acquired 24 million customers within the first two months of its launch, whereas
its competitors sometimes took years to acquire the same number of subscribers.53
Wi-Fi Hotspots
Jio planned to set up Wi-Fi hotspots across India at schools, colleges, and other public spaces by mid-2017.
Jio customers could connect to the hotspots to access the Internet.
CHALLENGES FOR RELIANCE JIO54
After successfully arousing initial excitement and signing up a significant number of early subscribers in
its welcome offer, the company faced several challenges. (1) Voice call failure: September 22, 2016, saw
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more than 120 million failed calls out of a total of 150 million attempts, due to insufficient points of
interconnectivity provided by the other players in the market. This failure initiated a legal battle among
companies in the industry. (2) Decreased Internet speed: the early adopters complained of fluctuating
Internet speed and a drop in Internet speed from, on average, 50 megabits per second (Mbps) to 6–10 Mbps.
(3) Faulty Jio apps: The apps failed to deliver a flawless experience to the users and led to consumer
complaints regarding frequently crashing, loading issues, and long boot time. (4) The absence of VoLTE
support in older phones: The earlier smartphones lacked the required support for VoLTE and required the
user to use Jio4GVoice app for connectivity. However, the app was leading to difficulty for the users,
resulting in a waste of Jio SIMs for the owners of older phones.
THE WAY AHEAD FOR RELIANCE JIO
India was consistently ranked among the fastest growing economies of the world. It was also a young nation,
with 63 per cent of its population under the age of 35 years, which represented a fast growing digital
audience.53
Jio foresaw the creation of a digital revolution in India. Its vision was to provide affordable
broadband and digital services, which were once considered luxury items. How should Jio design its
offering to provide end-to-end digital solutions for all stakeholders, and thereby shape the future of India
by bridging the rural–urban divide? Jio had created an integrated business strategy with consistent,
available, and affordable broadband network, smartphones, content, and applications, but did it have the
capability to provide a seamless consumer experience? Would Jio be successful in creating the most
extensive telecom network in India?
To attain its goal to cover 100 per cent of the Indian population by 2018, how should Jio utilize its
technological, human, and capital resources, in addition to the nearly half a million square feet of cloud
data centres it owned, a multi-Terabit-capacity international network, and more than 250,000 kilometres of
fibre-optic cables?55
Also, Jio’s initiatives, such as affordable smartphones, a digital currency, Jio Drive,
digital education, digital entertainment, and digital entrepreneurship, needed to be in line with the
Government of India’s Digital India Vision to digitally empower 1.3 billion Indian citizens. Was Jio ready?
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EXHIBIT 1: GROWTH OF WIRED AND WIRELESS TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERS IN INDIA, 2007–
2016
Source: Created by the authors based on “Telecom Sector in India,” India Brand Equity Foundation, last updated July 2016,
accessed September 16, 2016, www.ibef.org/industry/telecommunications.aspx; “The Indian Telecom Services Performance
Indicators,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, August 5, 2016, accessed September 10, 2016,
http://www.trai.gov.in/release-publication/reports/performance-indicators-reports?field_start_date_value%5Bvalue%
5D&page=6.
EXHIBIT 2: KEY OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS OF INDIA’S NEW NATIONAL TELECOM POLICY,
1999
Facilitate affordable and effective communication for all
Provide world class telecommunication services
Encourage the development of telecom facilities in remote, hilly, and tribal areas of India
Emerge as a major manufacturing industry and major exporter of telecommunication equipment
Provide efficient and unbiased spectrum management
Institutionalize the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) and help it to function as a corporate
body
Source: Created by the authors using “National Telecom Policy, 1994,” The Centre for Internet & Society, accessed September
12, 2016, http://cis-india.org/telecom/resources/national-telecom-policy-1994; “Objectives of National Telecom Policy 1999,”
Business Maps of India, accessed September 16, 2016, http://business.mapsofindia.com/communications-industry/national-
policy-objectives.html.
206
300
430
621
846
951 898 846
996 1,023
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11 FY 12 FY 13 FY 14 FY 15 FY 16
Telephone
subscribers
Fiscal year
Telephone subscribers in millions
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EXHIBIT 3: WIRELESS OPERATORS’ MARKET SHARE, BY SUBSCRIBER, 2015
Note: Airtel = Bharti Airtel; Idea = Idea Cellular; Rcomm = Reliance Communications; BSNL = Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited.
Source: Created by the authors using data from “The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators,” Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India, May 18, 2016, accessed September 10, 2016, www.trai.gov.in/release-publication/reports/performance-
indicators-reports?field_start_date_value%5Bvalue%5D&page=6.
EXHIBIT 4: GROWTH OF GSM AND CDMA SUBSCRIBERS IN INDIA, 2007–2015 (IN MILLIONS)
Year
GSM
Subscribers
CDMA
Subscribers
2007 120 45
2008 193 68
2009 297 95
2010 479 106
2011 698 113
2012 814 105
2013 794 74
2014 847 57
2015 876 54
Note: GSM = Global System for Mobile Communications; CDMA = Code Division Multiple Access.
Source: Created by the authors based on Sunil Mani, “India’s Telecommunications Industry,” S&T and Industry, December
2008, accessed September 18, 2016, www.nistads.res.in/indiasnt2008/t4industry/t4ind14.htm; Arun Prabhu Desai, “Wireless
Subscribers in India,” Trak.in, August 4, 2014, accessed September 10, 2016, http://trak.in/tags/business/2009/07/15/india-
telecom-report-wireless-subscribers.
24.31%
19.15%
16.94%
9.91%
8.43% 8.35%
5.81%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
Market
share
Service provider
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EXHIBIT 5: GROWTH IN TELEDENSITY IN INDIA, 2007–2015
Source: Created by the authors using data from Shubham Goyal, “The Indian Telecom Story,” Shubham Goyal’s Blog,
September 5, 2010, accessed September 16, 2016, https://goyalshubham.wordpress.com/tag/indian-mobile-market; and
Government of India, “Progress of Tele-density,” April 29, 2016, accessed September 16, 2016,
https://community.data.gov.in/progress-of-tele-density.
EXHIBIT 6: THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT’S TELECOM INITIATIVES
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship had signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Department of Telecommunication (DOT) to develop and implement the National Action Plan for
Skill Development with the objective of fulfilling skilled manpower resource requirements and boosting
employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the telecom sector.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recommended a public–private partnership (PPP) model for
BharatNET, the Indian central government’s ambitious project to set up a broadband network in rural
India.
In June 2016, in a major breakthrough, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the DOT, approved the guidelines
for spectrum sharing, preparing the way for improvements in both spectral efficiency and quality of
service.
Source: Created by the authors using data from “Telecom Sector in India,” Indian Brand Equity Foundation, last updated July
2016, accessed September 16, 2016, www.ibef.org/industry/telecommunications.aspx; and Prashant Singhal, “Digital
Revolution: 7 Steps Taken by Modi Government in Telecom Sector,” Financial Express, June 6, 2016, accessed September
15, 2016, www.financialexpress.com/economy/digital-revolution-7-steps-taken-by-modi-government-in-telecom-
sector/275038.
48%
66%
89%
120%
157%
170%
147% 146% 149%
18%
26%
37%
53%
71%
79%
73% 75%
79%
6% 9% 15%
24%
34%
39% 41% 44%
48%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
160%
180%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
TELEDENSITY
YEAR
Urban Teledensity Total Teledensity Rural Teledensity
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EXHIBIT 7: GROSS REVENUE OF INDIAN TELECOM OPERATORS IN THE QUARTER ENDING
MARCH 2016 (IN US$ MILLION)
Market
Capitalization
Telecom
Operator
QE March 2016
(in million US$)
% Market Share in
QE March 2016
Bharti Airtel 1,851 30.17
Vodafone 1,326 21.6
Idea 1,153 18.79
BSNL 546 8.9
Tata 398 5.49
Aircel 308 5.02
Rcomm 209 3.41
Telenor 132 2.15
MTNL 150 2.44
Sistema Shyam 48 0.78
Videocon 9 0.15
Quadrant 5 0.08
Reliance Jio 0 0.01
Total 6,135.40
Note: QE = quarter ending; Vodafone = Vodafone Mobile Services; Idea = Idea Cellular; BSNL = Bharat Sanchar Nigam
Limited; Tata = Tata Teleservices; Rcomm = Reliance Communications; Reliance Jio = Reliance Jio Infocomm.
Source: Created by the authors based on “The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators,” Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India, August 5, 2016, accessed September 10, 2016, www.trai.gov.in/release-publication/reports/performance-
indicators-reports?field_start_date_value%5Bvalue%5D&page=6.
EXHIBIT 8: INDIAN TELECOM TRENDS IN AVERAGE REVENUE PER USER PER MONTH (IN US$)
Note: QE = quarter ending; ARPU = average revenue per user.
Source: Created by the authors based on “The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators,” Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India, May 18, 2016, accessed September 10, 2016, http://www.trai.gov.in/release-
publication/reports/performance-indicators-reports?field_start_date_value%5Bvalue%5D&page=6; and “The Indian Telecom
Services Performance Indicators,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, August 5, 2016, accessed September 10, 2016.
1.82715
1.92675
1.8702
1.85655
1.90365
1.76
1.78
1.8
1.82
1.84
1.86
1.88
1.9
1.92
1.94
QE Mar-15 QE Jun-15 QE Sept-15 QE Dec-15 QE Mar-16
ARPU
Quarter
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EXHIBIT 9: SPECTRUM HOLDINGS OF INDIA’S MAJOR TELECOM OPERATORS, AUGUST 2016
Spectrum
Bands (MHz)
Reliance
Jio
Vodafone Airtel Idea
850 48.80
900 83.80 116.40 59
1,800 107 143 213.50 151.70
2,100 75 100 60
2,300 440 340
Total 595.80 301.80 769.90 270.70
Spectrum Characteristics of Spectrum Band
700–900 MHz
Highly efficient for delivering 4G LTE services
Better penetration
Wider coverage
1800 MHz
Most telecom companies prefer this band to roll out 4G services
Primarily used for voice rather than data
2100 MHz Used for 3G data services
2300 MHz Broadband wireless access frequency held by Reliance Jio in all 22 circles
2500 MHz
Used by BSNL for rural connectivity
Not held by private telecom companies
Note: MHz = megahertz; Reliance Jio = Reliance Jio Infocomm; Vodafone = Vodafone Mobile Services; Airtel = Bharti Airtel;
Idea = Idea Cellular; 4G = fourth generation; LTE = long-term evolution; telecom = telecommunications; 3G = third generation;
and BSNL = Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited.
Source: Created by the authors based on Shauvik Ghosh and Joji Thomas Philip, “Spectrum Auction Redraws India’s Telecom
Landscape,” Mint, February 20, 2014, accessed September 12, 2016,
www.livemint.com/Politics/ZP475ScKzCYbaOHqVa0qqL/Spectrum-auction-redraws-Indias-telecom-landscape.html; Tech
I.E, “India’s Largest Spectrum Auction Worth Rs 5.63 Lakh cr Starts; Jio, Aircel in the Fray,” Indian Express, August 16, 2016,
accessed September 4, 2016, http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/spectrum-auction-reliance-
jio-airtel-idea-vodafone-3059467; and Nikhila Natarajan, “Morgan Stanley India Telecoms Report: Cash Is King Ahead of
Spectrum Auctions, ‘Overweight’ on Jio,” First Post, March 7, 2016, accessed September 15, 2016,
www.firstpost.com/business/morgan-stanley-india-telecoms-report-cash-is-king-ahead-of-spectrum-auctions-overweight-on-
jio-2659694.html.
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EXHIBIT 10: MAJOR INDIAN TELECOM COMPANIES’ SPECTRUM HOLDINGS, BY CIRCLE,
OCTOBER 2016
850 MHz Band 5
900 MHz Band 8
1800 MHz Band 3
2100 MHz Band 1
2300 MHz Band 40
2500 MHz Band 41
Note: Airtel = Bharti Airtel; Vodafone = Vodafone Mobile Services; Idea = Idea Cellular; Jio = Reliance Jio Infocomm; Rcomm
= Reliance Communication; UP = Uttar Pradesh; MHz = megahertz.
Source: Created by the authors using data from Nikhil Pahwa, “India’s 2015 Spectrum Auction Results: Which Telco Won
What,” MediaNama, March 27, 2015, accessed September 12, 2016, www.medianama.com/2015/03/223-indias-2015-
spectrum-auction-results-which-telco-won-what; Shauvik Ghosh and Joji Thomas Philip, “Spectrum Auction Redraws India’s
Telecom Landscape,” Mint, February 20, 2014, accessed September 12, 2016,
www.livemint.com/Politics/ZP475ScKzCYbaOHqVa0qqL/Spectrum-auction-redraws-Indias-telecom-landscape.html; and
Parag Kar, “Why 800 MHz Is Important for Telcos,” Economic Times, October 16, 2015, accessed September 14, 2016,
http://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/tele-talk/why-800-mhz-band-is-important-for-telcos/964.
Telecom Circles Airtel Vodafone Idea Jio RComm
Delhi Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3, 1
Mumbai Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 3, 1 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3, 1
Kolkata Bands 8, 3, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 3, 1 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3, 1
Andhra Pradesh Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Band 3 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3
Gujarat Bands 3, 1, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5
Karnataka Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Bands 3, 1 Bands 8, 3 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3
Maharastra Bands 3, 1, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3, 1, 40, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3
Tamil Nadu Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Bands 3, 1 Band 3 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3
Haryana Bands 3, 1, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3
Kerala Bands 3, 1, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3, 1, 40, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3
Madhya Pradesh Bands 3, 1, 40 Band 3 Bands 8, 3, 1, 40, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 8, 1
Punjab Band 8, 3, 40 Band 3, 1, 41 Band 8, 3, 1 Band 5, 3, 40 Band 5, 3, 1
Rajasthan Band 8, 3, 1 Band 8, 3, 1, 41 Band 3, 1, 41 Band 5, 3, 40 Band 5, 3, 1
UP (East) Band 8, 3, 1 Band 8, 3, 1, 41 Band 3, 1, 41 Band 5, 3, 40 Band 5, 3
UP (West) Bands 3, 1 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3
West Bengal Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 1
Assam Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Bands 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 1
Bihar Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Band 3 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 1
Himachal Pradesh Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Band 3 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 8, 1
Jammu & Kashmir Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Band 3 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3, 1
North East Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Bands 3, 1, 41 Bands 8, 3, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3, 1
Odisha Bands 8, 3, 1, 40 Bands 8, 3, 1, 41 Bansd 8, 3, 41 Bands 5, 3, 40 Bands 5, 3, 1
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EXHIBIT 11: RELIANCE JIO’S APPS VERSUS THE COMPETITORS’ OFFERINGS
Jio Apps Purpose Competitor App Strength Weakness/Threat
My Jio Enables users to track their
data consumption and various
balances along with recharge
facilities
My Airtel, My
Vodafone
24 hours required for
accurate usage details
User interface is
mediocre, and
repetition of features
is a drawback
Jio Join Facilitates voice calls on
smartphones that do not
support voice over long-term
evolution
None Enables receiving of calls
on other smartphones
App works only on
long-term evolution
but that has program
flaws
Jio Security Norton-powered security app
protects the phone from
malicious programs; anti-theft
features locate the phone when
lost; can block numbers
AVG Antivirus
security, Norton
Antivirus security
Provides safety covers Has many program
flaws; efficiency of
this app still needs to
be tested
Jio Beats Music-streaming app with the
option of preferred languages
Gaana, Saavn,
Wynk, Hungama
Comprehensive
compilation of songs,
good user interface,
weekly top 20 playlists
dedicated to certain artists
as well as playlist-based
Few options in
languages other than
Hindi
Jio on
Demand
Huge range of movies, TV
shows, and music videos
available on demand
Hotstar, Netflix Wide range of media in
Hindi movies; good user
interface
No option to
download
Jio Play All TV channels available to
watch, as provided by TV
operators
Hotstar 300 channels; recordings
available for 7 days
Not all channels
available; poor user
interface
Jio Express
News/Jio
Mags
News App Economic Times;
Times of India
Great user interface;
language preference
options
Magazine display
lacks options; text of
articles are not
configured to fit the
screen
Jio Money Jio’s wallet app; user can
recharge phone; direct-to-
home; pay for landline,
electricity bills
Paytm,
FreeCharge,
Airtel Money, M-
Pesa
Recently acquired
payment bank licence
from Reserve Bank of
India and has extensive
partnerships with
numerous offline
merchants
Requires user to
enter personal
identification number
whenever the app is
accessed, which
affects user interface
Jio Chat This app enables voice calls
and video calls to anyone who
uses the Jio Chat app
WeChat, Hike,
Snapchat,
Whatsapp
Free 100 SMS to any
contact in India
Whatsapp launched a
new video calling
feature
Jio Drive Jio’s cloud storage service Dropbox, Google
Drive
Device restore capability
allows users to transfer
content from one device
to another
Poor user interface
Note: SMS = short message service.
Source: Created by the authors using data from ET Telecom, “Reliance Jio Launched CAF Apps to Support Customer
Acquisition, Jio App Store Ahead of Soft Launch,” Economic Times, April 8, 2016, accessed September 15, 2016,
http://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/reliance-jio-launches-caf-apps-to-support-customer-acquisition-jio-app-
store-ahead-of-soft-launch/51734369; and “Reliance Jio Apps,” Reliance Jio Infocomm, accessed September 2, 2016,
www.jio.com/en-in/apps/my-jio.
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EXHIBIT 12: RELIANCE JIO’S TARIFFS AND PRICE COMPARISONS
500 MB 4G LTE
Telecom Operator Data Offered Validity (Days) Price (₹) Price (US$)
Reliance Jio 300 MB + Unlimited Night Time Data 28 149 2.235
Airtel 500 MB 28 144 2.160
Vodafone 550 MB 21 189 2.835
Idea – – – –
1 GB 4G LTE Data
Reliance Jio 750 MB + Unlimited Night Time Data 7 199 2.985
Airtel 1 GB 28 255 3.825
Vodafone 1 GB 28 297 4.455
Idea 1 GB 28 249 3.735
2 GB 4G LTE Data
Reliance Jio 2 GB + Unlimited Night Time Data 21 299 4.485
Airtel 2 GB 30 455 6.825
Vodafone 2 GB 28 397 5.955
Idea 2 GB 28 449 6.735
3 GB 4G LTE Data
Reliance Jio – – – –
Airtel 3 GB 30 655 9.825
Vodafone 3 GB 28 497 7.455
Idea 3 GB 28 598 8.970
4 GB LTE Data
Reliance Jio 4 GB + Unlimited Night Time Data 28 499 7.485
Airtel 4 GB 30 755 11.325
Vodafone 4 GB 56 852 12.780
Idea 5 GB 28 851 12.765
Data Plans Higher than 10 GB
Reliance Jio 75 GB + Unlimited Night Time Data 28 4,999 74.985
Airtel 30 GB 90 1,495 22.425
Airtel 10 GB 30 995 14.925
Vodafone (special
offer for new users) 10 GB 30 297 4.455
Vodafone 40 GB 28 3,999 59.985
Idea 15 GB 28 1,849 27.735
Note: MB = megabyte; 4G = fourth generation; LTE = long-term evolution; ₹ = rupees; Reliance Jio = Reliance Jio Infocomm;
Airtel = Bharti Airtel; Vodafone = Vodafone Mobile Services; Idea = Idea Cellular; and GB = gigabyte.
Source: Created by the authors using data from “Reliance Jio 4G Tariff: Here’s How It Compares with Airtel, Vodafone and
Idea 4G LTE Plans,” Tech 2, September 2, 2016, accessed September 14, 2016, http://tech.firstpost.com/news-
analysis/reliance-jio-4g-tariff-heres-how-it-compares-with-airtel-vodafone-and-idea-4g-lte-data-plans-332992.html.
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ENDNOTES
1
This case has been written on the basis of published sources only. Consequently, the interpretation and perspectives
presented in this case are not necessarily those of Reliance Jio Infocomm or any of its employees.
2
Indian telecom regulators divided the country into regions called telecom circles, also known as telecom service areas.
3
Priyanka Sahay, “Mobile Internet Users in India to Grow to 371 Million by June 2016: Report,” Mint Live, February 7, 2016,
accessed on February 7, 2016, http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/mG6vXgxfvUt809tzMoTUZL/Mobile-Internet-users-in-
India-to-grow-to-371-million-by-Jun.html.
4
“The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, August 5, 2016, accessed
September 10, 2016, http://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/Indicator_Report_05_August_2016.pdf.
5
“From Big Oil to Big Data: Inside Mukesh Ambani’s $20-Billion Startup Called Jio,” Economic Times, August 31, 2016,
accessed September 17, 2016, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/from-big-oil-to-big-
data-inside-mukesh-ambanis-20-billion-startup-called-jio/articleshow/53944680.cms.
6
All currency amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
7
“About 70 Percent Indians Live in Rural Areas: Census Report,” Hindu, July 15, 2011, accessed September 20, 2016,
www.thehindu.com/news/national/about-70-per-cent-indians-live-in-rural-areas-census-report/article2230211.ece.
8
“Reliance Jio Enrols 16 Mn Users in First Month, Claims Record,” First Post, October 10, 2016, accessed October 11, 2016,
www.firstpost.com/business/reliance-jio-enrols-16-mn-users-in-first-month-claims-world-record-3042786.html; “Reliance Jio
Sets Target of 100 Million Customers,” Economic Times, September 2, 2016, accessed September 16, 2016,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/reliance-jio-sets-target-of-100-million-
customers/articleshow/53971319.cms.
9
Anandita Singh Mankotia and Kalyan Parbat, “Price War: Idea, Vodafone, and Bharti Airtel to Slash Tariffs to Compete with
Reliance Jio,” Economic Times, September 2, 2016, accessed September 12, 2016,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/price-war-idea-vodafone-and-bharti-airtel-to-slash-
tariffs-to-compete-with-reliance-jio/articleshow/53971250.cms.
10
Piyush Pandey, “Will Reliance Jio Disrupt the 4G Market?,” Hindu, June 27, 2016, accessed September 20, 2016,
www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/will-reliance-jio-disrupt-the-market-with-4g/article8776017.ece.
11
“Telecom Sector in India,” Indian Brand Equity Foundation, July 2016, accessed September 9, 2016,
www.ibef.org/industry/telecommunications.aspx.
12
Ibid.
13
Ibid.
14
“Act & Rules,” Department of Telecommunications, last updated September 8, 2016, accessed September 12, 2016,
www.dot.gov.in/act-rules.
15
Rakesh Kumar Sharma and R. K. Yadav, “Reforms in Indian Telecom sector,” Indian MBA, December 31, 2007, accessed
September 7, 2016, www.indianmba.com/faculty_column/fc701/fc701.html.
16
“National Telecom Policy, 1994,” The Centre for Internet & Society, accessed September 12, 2016, http://cis-
india.org/telecom/resources/national-telecom-policy-1994.
17
“History of Indian Telecom,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, accessed September 12, 2016,
http://www.trai.gov.in/about-us/history.
18
“New Telecom Policy 1999,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, accessed September 16, 2016,
http://www.trai.gov.in/about-us/acts-policies/new-telecom-policy-1999.
19
“About BSNL,” Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, accessed September 14, 2016,
www.bsnl.in/opencms/bsnl/BSNL/about_us/company/about_bsnl.html.
20
Tharun G, “Total GSM Subscriber Base Reaches 1.05 Billion in February; Bharti Airtel Leads with 248.69 Million Users,”
Telecom Talk Info, April 3, 2016, accessed September 15, 2016, https://telecomtalk.info/total-gsm-subscriber-base-feb2016-
india/151580.
21
Ms. Pritish and Tarun Saxena, “An Analysis of the Indian Telecom Industry,” IOSR Journal of Business and Management
17, no. 10 (2015): 35–42, accessed September 12, 2016, http://iosrjournals.org/iosr-jbm/papers/Vol17-issue10/Version-
2/D0171023542.pdf.
22
ENS Economic Bureau, “Nine FDI Doors Flung Open, Aviation, Defence, Single-Brand Retail among Key Sectors,” Indian
Express, June 21, 2016, accessed September 12, 2016, http://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/aviation-defence-
single-brand-retail-among-key-sectors-opened-2865198.
23
Shobit Srivastava, "Smartphone Shipments in India Reach an All-time Record High in Q3 2016,” December 28, 2016,
accessed March 5, 2017, http://www.counterpointresearch.com/press_release/3q2016india/.
24
“Vision & Mission of DOT,” Department of Telecommunications, accessed September 16, 2016, www.dot.gov.in/vision-mission.
25
Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, “Role of TRAI,” Press Information Bureau, March 6, 2013,
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=93148.
26
Official website of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, accessed September 17, 2016,
http://tdsat.nic.in/profile2.htm.
27
“The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, August 5, 2016, accessed
September 10, 2016, www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/Indicator_Report_05_August_2016.pdf.
28
Kareem Anderson, “India’s Airtel Partners with Microsoft Azure, Launches Private Connection Service Connexion,” WinBeta,
May 9, 2016, accessed September 10, 2016, www.winbeta.org/news/indias-airtel-partners-microsoft-azure-launches-private-
connection-service-connexion.
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29
Tharun G, op. cit.
30
Pankaj Dovali, “Airtel Slashes Rates for Prepaid Data Plan to Battle Jio,” Times of India, August 30, 2016, accessed
September 10, 2016, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Airtel-slashes-rates-for-prepaid-data-plan-
to-battle-Jio/articleshow/53918369.cms.
31
Deepali Gupta and Gulveen Aulakh, “Telecos Fazed by Fewer New Smartphone Users, Data Business Growth Slows
Down,” Economic Times, May 24, 2016, accessed September 15, 2016, http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2016-
05-24/news/73315259_1_smartphone-users-data-users-idea-cellular.
32
“Vodafone to Invest $500 Mn on 3G,” Indian Express, October 21, 2010, accessed September 12, 2016,
http://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/vodafone-to-invest-500-mn-on-3g.
33
Promit Mukherjee, “India’s Idea Cellular Posts 74% Drop in First Quarter Profit,” Reuters, August 8, 2016, accessed
September 14, 2016, http://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/idINL4N1AP40H.
34
“Indian Mobile Subscribers Stats Apr 2016: BSNL Tops with 1.1M Additions, Idea, Vodafone Lose Subscribers,” Trak.in,
June 23, 2016, accessed September 13, 2016, http://trak.in/tags/business/2016/06/23/indian-mobile-subscriber-stats-apr-
2016-bsnl-idea/.
35
Manu Kaushik, “Distress Call,” Business Today, July 5, 2016, accessed September 8, 2016,
www.businesstoday.in/magazine/trends/factors-that-are-contributing-to-death-of-3g-in-india/story/220551.html.
36
Ibid.
37
Ibid.
38
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