Bharti Launches Maharashtra Services With Value-Adds

Bharti Cellular, a subsidiary of Bharti Tele-Ventures, today launched its mobile services in Maharashtra, with a pre-paid product along with a host of value-added services.

Bharti Cellular, the third operator in Maharashtra circle has introduced a host of services to attract customers. It has introduced 32K SIM cards, a 30-second pulse rate, two-way full roaming on pre-paid cards that will be available across western India, balance on screen and an instant recharge facility, call management services and special introductory offer of free SMS and voice mail service for the first three months.

Besides, it has worked out an innovative tariff plan AirTel Dream which is unique to the Maharashtra circle. The new tariff plan is expected to attract users where airtime rates would reduce with increasing usage. The user in this case does not have to commit airtime in advance nor pay higher rentals to avail this benefit.

Moreover under its value for customer programme, Bharti Cellular has two offers specially chalked out for its high-end customers. The offers- AirTel Delight where customers get all incoming calls free for a flat monthly charge and AirTel Paradise -- whereby customers can talk as much as they want for a flat monthly charge with free airtime on both incoming and outgoing calls.

The cellular operator has also set 25 exclusive "one-stop" mobile shops where consumers can purchase a mobile phone, get a new connection, subscribe to value-added services or pay their bills.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and group managing director, Bharti Enterprises said, "AirTel will herald the beginning of world-class mobile services in Maharashtra through its superior product offering and unmatched network quality".

Sanjay Kapoor, executive director, Bharti Cellular said, "Like with the entry of any other third operator across the globe, we hope to expand the size of this market exponentially and raise the quality standards of mobile services in Maharashtra".

Bharti offers mobile services in 13 out of 22 circles in the country and intends to provide mobile services in Mumbai and Goa soon. A Bharti press release on the occasion quotes a COAI report that approximately 93 per cent of India's total number of mobile subscribers, as on June 30, 2002 resided in Bharti Tele-ventures existing and proposed mobile circles.

Bharti Tele-Ventures is a holding company and its operations are segmented into four divisions which are operated by fully owned subsidiaries - Bharti Cellular for mobile, Bharti Telenet for access, Bharti Telesonic as long distance and Bharti Broadband networks for broadband solutions.