Idea to target SEZs in Gujarat for expansion

To partner Motorola for handset-bundled solutions.

In an attempt to be a leader in the GSM telecom operations, Idea Cellular Limited is planning to target the upcoming special economic zones (SEZ) in Gujarat.

Although the second largest GSM operator in the country finds it a lucrative market, it is yet to finalise the kind of product-specific services it will provide at these SEZs.

"To begin with, we are looking from coverage perspective to offer services to the upcoming SEZs. In terms of product-specific services, it will depend upon customer preferences which is too early to comment on," said Gururaj Kulkarni, chief operating officer, Gujarat circle.

Moreover, the company has also begun offering telecom services to South Gujarat tribal regions like Ahwa in Dang and Nizar. "We are the first private GSM telecom operator to provide services in the South Gujarat tribal regions. The response has been so good that it re-inforces the fact that communication is a vital requirement for any customer and it crosses all barriers," added Kulkarni.

For these remote areas, Idea Cellular has been using VSAT services for transmission. Idea, recently, doubled its presence in a number of towns to 560 in Gujarat and in the number of base stations to 1,100.

Kulkarni added that the company is partnering Motorola for handset-bundled solutions. Without refuting the possibilities of entering the CDMA segment, Kulkarni said, "Irrespective of the technology (GSM/CDMA), we look to make a good service proposition from a customer perspective."

Idea, recently, launched its Idea CARE, an interactive SMS portal wherein its subscribers can ask queries anytime.

"The service has been such a huge success that we have over 50,000 customers per day using this service," said Kulkarni. The company also announced a new slashed tariff of 25 paise for Idea-to-Idea and 50 paise for other service providers.

Idea has a subscriber base of 1.7 million of the 11 million subscribers in Gujarat. It also plans to increase its footprint coverage and base stations but is still in the process of finalising.