Our Economy Bureau |
New Delhi
February 18, 2004
Last Updated at 00:00 IST
AirTel launches new pre-paid schemes
| Bharti Cellular on Tuesday announced a slew of benefits for its 4.5 million pre-paid card users in an effort to shore up its subscriber base.
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| The new scheme includes full talk time on recharge coupons of Rs 3,240 and increased validity period for coupons of lower denomination. The talk time earlier on a Rs 3,240 card was only Rs 2,700.
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| To further strengthen the offering, all AirTel pre-paid customers would now be able to receive incoming calls and SMS for the first 15 days of the grace period.
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| The move comes close on the heels of Reliance Infocomm launching its pre-paid card. The Reliance scheme offered a pre-paid connection with handset for about Rs 3,400.
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| Announcing, the new initiatives, Manoj Kohli, president mobility, Bharti Tele-ventures said, "the pre-paid category continues to be the real driver for the unprecedented growth of the Indian mobile market. AirTel has once again taken the lead in redefining the pre-paid market in the country".
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| The validity period for the recharge coupon of Rs 50 has been increased from three days to five days and the Rs 108 card will have a validity period of 10 days instead of the seven days earlier. Pre-paid card of Rs 216 will now be valid for 20 days instead of 14 days earlier.
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| The AirTel pre-paid customers can also top up their pre-paid card with any denomination suiting their budget, be it Rs 75, 120, 160.
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| "In real terms, this means a pre-paid customer can buy talk time in the same manner as he buys petrol for his car or two- wheeler," said a company release.
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| More than 60 per cent of the mobile subscriber base comprise pre-paid users. Reliance Infocomm has targeted to garner 1 million new subscribers every month following the launch of its pre-paid cards. |
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