Vodafone to launch M-Pesa in south India by March-April

Vodafone today said its mobile commerce initiative called M-Pesa will be launched in south India in March-April.
"We have launched our mobile commerce initiative called M-Pesa...; we have launched it in 15 circles across the country, there is few more to be launched other than the south, and in south we have scheduled it for March-April," Vodafone Operations Director south India Suresh Kumar told reporters here.
"....The only reason why we have done it in a phased manner is- we understand that this is something which needs to be built in into the way of transacting, and way doing business, and the way of dealing with money.... We don't want to kind of rush, so there has been a planned staggered national launch," he added.

This service allows customers to transfer money to any mobile phone, remit money to any bank account, make utility payments, recharge of mobile, DTH payment and earn interest on deposits.
Listing on the key areas that Vodafone will focus for the year, Kumar said: "This year when we began we said there are some of the priorities that we would like to spend time, money, efforts on...,
"...One of the thing that we have as priority for this year is big shift on data, second priority that we are having for the year is Vodafone business service within the enterprise portion, third priority that we have for the year is postpaid...."

"other than this the priorities that we have is- doing meaningful things for the society; one thing that Vodafone has take up other than contribution to the society is the diversity agenda...," he added.
Pointing that the company has 8,000 exclusive Vodafone retail stores across the country in three formats, he said "this will clearly help us in our journey in postpaid, it will also helping us in our journey in prepaid, and on data as well.