Vodafone India

Vodafone Essar Limited

File:Vodafone logo.svg
Company type	Limited
Industry	Mobile telecommunications
Predecessor	Hutchison Essar
Founded	1994
Headquarters	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Products	Mobile networks, Telecom services, Etc.
Owner	Vodafone Group (67%) Essar Group (33%)
Number of employees	10,000 – March 31, 2009
Website	Vodafone India

Vodafone Essar, usually referred to simply as Vodafone, is a cellular operator in India that covers 23 telecom circles in India. It was formerly known as Hutchison Essar. It is based in Mumbai. Vodafone Essar is the Indian subsidiary of Vodafone Group 67% and Essar Group 33%. It is the second largest mobile phone operator in terms of revenue behind Bharti Airtel, and third largest in terms of customers. The company now has operations across the country with over 113.77 million customers.

On February 11, 2007, Vodafone agreed to acquire the controlling interest of 67% held by Li Ka Shing Holdings in Hutch-Essar for US$11.1 billion, pipping Reliance Communications, Hinduja Group, and Essar Group, which is the owner of the remaining 33%. The whole company was valued at USD 18.8 billion. The transaction closed on May 8, 2007. Despite the official name being Vodafone Essar, its products are simply branded Vodafone. It offers both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India with good presence in the metros.

Vodafone Essar provides 2.75G services based on 900 MHz and 1800 MHz digital GSM technology, offering voice and data services in 23 of the country's 23 licence areas. It is among the top three GSM mobile operators of India.

Vodafone Essar will launch third-generation (3G) services in the country in the January-March quarter of 2011 and plans to spend up to $500 million within two years on its 3G networks.

Previous brands

Initially, around 1995, the company services were branded Max Touch¸ renamed to Orange in 2000. In December 2006, Hutchison Essar re-launched the "Hutch" brand nationwide, consolidating its services under a single identity.

The company used to be named Hutchison Essar, reflecting the name of its previous owner, Hutchison. However, the brand was marketed as Hutch. After getting the necessary government approvals with regards to the acquisition of a majority by the Vodafone Group, the company was rebranded as Vodafone Essar. The marketing brand was officially changed to Vodafone on 20 September 2007.

On September 20, 2007 Hutch became Vodafone in one of the biggest brand transition exercises in recent times.

Vodafone Essar is spending somewhere in the region of Rs. 250 crores on this high-profile transition being unveiled today.Along with the transition, cheap cell phones have been launched in the Indian market under the Vodafone brand. The company also plans to launch co-branded handsets sourced from global vendors as well.

A popular daily quoted a Vodafone Essar director as saying that "the objective is to leverage Vodafone Group's global scale in bringing millions of low-cost handsets from across-the-world into India."

Incidentally, China's ZTE, which is looking to set-up a manufacturing unit in the country, is expected to provide several Vodafone handsets in India. Earlier this year, Vodafone penned a global low-cost handset procurement deal with ZTE.

Growth of Hutchison Essar (1992-2005)

In 1992 Hutchison Whampoa and its Indian business partner established a company that in 1994 was awarded a licence to provide mobile telecommunications services in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and launched commercial service as Hutchison Max in November 1995. Analjit Singh of Max still holds 12% in company.

In Delhi, UP (E), Rajasthan and Haryana, ESSAR was the major partner. But later Hutch took the majority Stake.

By the time of Hutchison Telecom's Initial Public Offering in 2004, Hutchison Whampoa had acquired interests in six mobile telecommunications operators providing service in 13 of India's 23 licence areas and following the completion of the acquisition of BPL that number increased to 16. In 2006, it announced the acquisition of a company (Essar Spacetel — A subsidiary of Essar Group) that held licence applications for the seven remaining licence areas.

In a country growing as fast as India, a strategic and well managed business plan is critical to success. Initially, the company grew its business in the largest wireless markets in India — in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. In these densely populated urban areas it was able to establish a robust network, well known brand and large distribution network -all vital to long-term success in India. Then it also targeted business users and high-end post-paid customers which helped Hutchison Essar to consistently generate a higher Average Revenue Per User ("ARPU") than its competitors. By adopting this focused growth plan, it was able to establish leading positions in India's largest markets providing the resources to expand its footprint nationwide.

In February 2007, Hutchison Telecom announced that it had entered into a binding agreement with a subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc to sell its 67% direct and indirect equity and loan interests in Hutchison Essar Limited for a total cash consideration (before costs, expenses and interests) of approximately US$11.1 billion or HK$87 billion. In the same year, the company entered into an agreement with NTT DoCoMo to launch i-mode mobile Internet service in India.

1992: Hutchison Whampoa and Max Group established Hutchison Max

2000: Acquisition of Delhi operations Entered Calcutta and Gujarat markets through ESSAR acquisition

2001: Won auction for licences to operate GSM services in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Chennai

A 'You and I' print advertisement of Hutch featuring Cheeka (dog)

2003: Acquired AirCel Digilink (ADIL — ESSAR Subsidiary) which operated in Rajastan, Uttar Pradesh East and Haryana telecom circles and renamed it under Hutch brand

2004: Launched in three additional telecom circles of India namely 'Punjab', 'Uttar Pradesh West' and 'West Bengal'

2005: Acquired BPL (Except Mumbai)- 3 Circles, another mobile service provider in India

2008: Vodafone acquired the Licence in remaining 7 circles and has started its pending operations in Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh with its headquarters at Malviya Nagar, Bhopal as well as in Orissa, Assam, North East and Bihar

2008: Vodafone launched the Apple iPhone 3G to be used on its 17 circle 2.75G network.

Hutch was often praised for its award winning advertisements which all follow a clean, minimalist look. A recurrent theme is that its message Hello stands out visibly though it uses only white letters on red background. Another recent successful ad campaign in 2003 featured a pug named Cheeka following a boy around in unlikely places, with the tagline, Wherever you go, our network follows. The simple yet powerful advertisement campaigns won it many admirers.

2009: Vodafone launched Recharge Online

2009: Vodafone Essar - 1st Indian Telecom operator to receive the Payment Card Industry Security Standard (PCI DSS) certification for its Mumbai operations and launches unlimited SMS offer in Mumbai.

2010: Vodafone emerged as the most admired marketer in India. 2010: Vodafone crossed 100 million subscribers in India

2010: Vodafone picks Nokia Siemens, Ericsson as 3G partners

3G

Vodafone Essar, India's third-largest mobile carrier, will launch third-generation (3G) services in the country in the January-March quarter of 2011 and plans to spend up to $500 million within two years on its 3G networks. Vodafone Essar won 3G licences in nine of 22 telecom zones for Rs. 11617.86 million, and has spent the second highest amount in the May 2010 auction. The circles where Vodafone will provide 3G services are Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Kolkata, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (East) and West Bengal. The company named Nokia Siemens Networks and Ericsson as its 3G equipment suppliers.

Subscriber Base

Subscriber Data for May 2010

Mumbai Vodafone Essar 5,223,050

Delhi Vodafone Essar 5,416,687

Kolkata Vodafone Essar 3,657,252

Chennai Vodafone Essar 1,815,133

Gujarat Vodafone Essar 11,304,719

A.P. Vodafone Essar 6,175,850

Karnatka Vodafone Essar 5,405,997

Punjab Vodafone Essar 3,246,338

Haryana Vodafone Essar 3,056,743

U.P.(E) Vodafone Essar 10,781,644

Rajasthan Vodafone Essar 7,634,793

UP (W) Vodafone Essar 6,769,802

W B Vodafone Essar 7,647,809

Maharashtra Vodafone Essar 7,580,180

T.N. Vodafone Essar 7,465,390

Kerala Vodafone Essar 4,357,308

Orissa Vodafone Essar 1,212,187

Assam Vodafone Essar 890,226

North East Vodafone Essar 553,482

MP Vodafone Essar 2,048,312

Bihar Vodafone Essar 3,664,639

HP Vodafone Essar 197,440

J & K Vodafone Essar 242,387

Total Vodafone Essar 106,347,368

The total is Vodafone Essar = 106,347,368 subscribers i.e. 23.94% of the total 444,295,711 subscribers.

Source = http://coai.in/

See also

• Vodafone
• Vodafone market share
• Symbian

External links

• Trace / Locate a Vodafone Number
• Official site of Vodafone India
• Official site of the Vodafone Group
• Online Vodafone Recharge
• Vodafone Recharge Online
• BlackBerry from Vodafone
• Hutch/Vodafone's Creative Television Commercials
• Vodafone Blackout Days
• Vodafone Introduced Special 3G WebPage