Idea subscriber base crosses 10mn mark

Indore, October 4, 2006: Having recently launched its' 9th Circle in Himachal Pradesh, Idea Cellular an Aditya Birla Group company and India's leading cellular operator today announced that it has crossed the 10 million-customer milestone and has more than a million customers in 7 out of 8 circles.

The journey to the 10 million milestones has been phenomenal with Idea adding more than 2 million customers and raising its market share in the mobility market. Between April06-August06, Idea added the highest number of net adds among all operators in the Idea territory. In addition to the world-class customer care, Idea provides customers with a complete mobile experience synergizing innovative services with revolutionary and affordable tariffs.

On this landmark achievement, Mr. Vikram Mehmi, President & CEO, Idea Cellular Limited said, "It has been an incredible journey for not only us but also our 10 Million loyal customers to whom we owe our success. The last year has witnessed tremendous growth in the Telecom Sector and we are happy to have kept pace with this progress. Our Success goes beyond numbers and is attributed solely to understanding and anticipating customer requirements well in advance. This is demonstrated through the various advances in unique products and services that Idea has spearheaded over the last four years.

He further added that, "The advantage of being an Aditya Birla group company will also enable us to deliver superior value to our customers .The future will see many milestones based on our continued focus on innovations in service delivery and with our approach that the customer shall always remain FIRST in whatever we do'.

Idea over the years has been credited with many 'firsts' in the Indian telecom history, the largest M&A deal in India INC, through its acquisition of Escotel in 2004, its Rs. 5000 crores financial closure in 2003 .It was the first to launch GPRS and EDGE in the country in addition to innovative products and services like Lifetime Idea, Women's card, Idea Madhur, Background Tones, Group Talk among many others.