Tata Teleservices bets on enterprise segment'

The move is a deliberate attempt to increase its revenue and presence, said the company

Tata Teleservices is betting big on the enterprise segment, which accounts for around 30 per cent of the company's revenue.

According to Prateek Pashine, president, enterprise services, Tata Teleservices, this shift marks an attempt by the company to increase its presence in the fast-growing segment.

IN FOCUS

• The enterprise segment accounts for 30 per cent of the company's revenue
• TataDocomo's smart-bus tracker has received good momentum
• The company’s enterprise team has 2,000 people
• The enterprise team works with 1.200 channel partners
• The team provides solutions to customers in 60 cities in the country

Tata Teleservices has provided solutions to fast moving consumer goods major Hindustan Unilever, which wanted to reach more customers in remote areas where media penetration is low but mobile penetration is high.

The company launched Kan Khajura Tesan, a free radio-on-demand service based on a public switched telephone network in two states.

The call flow starts with a mobile phone user in Bihar calling a number and hanging up. The caller receives a return call from Hindustan Unilever’s platform, which then plays Kan Khajura Tesan for 15 minutes. Besides entertainment programmes, the channel airs advertisements of Hindustan Unilever brands.

Kan Khajura Tesan has six million subscribers and 50 million ad impressions, clocking 11 million minutes per month. After its success in Bihar and Jharkhand, the service was extended to Uttar Pradesh and may be launched in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Pashine said requirements like these showed how discussions had moved from selling pipes to creating business solutions. “The enterprise business overall is 17-18 per cent of the total telecom segment and it has been growing eight per cent year-on-year. Tata Teleservices has been growing at 15 per cent,” said Pashine.

Contributing to this growth are the company’s technology solutions involving the Internet of things, mobile telephony and marketing. These solutions were introduced  two-and-a-half-years ago and have seen traction.

“These services are the new segments we are betting on and they are growing upwards of 20 per cent for us,” added Pashine.

The TataDocomo smart-bus tracker, designed for schools due to increasing security concerns, has received good momentum.

For Tata Teleservices though voice and data still form the bulk of its revenues.  The increasing needs for connectivity among enterprises, small and medium enterprises and the start-up ecosystem are pushing the managed services business.

The company’s enterprise team has 2,000 people who work with  1,200 channel partners to offer solutions to customers in over 60 cities in the country.