Aircel to invest Rs 1,100 cr in K'taka

Into the second phase of its expansion in Karnataka, telecom operator Aircel will invest Rs 1,100 crore over the next year to set up base stations across the state. Aircel marked its formal entry into the state by launching GSM mobile services in Bangalore on Monday.

Chief operating officer Gurdeep Singh said the company had so far spent Rs 550 crore as start-up investments in Bangalore, and had become the ninth cellular operator to start operations in the city.

A late entrant into the state, the Chennai-based firm plans to set up 1,200 new base stations in Karnataka over the next two months, from the present 500, to start operations in Bangalore urban and rural districts.

“Bangalore has a penetration rate of 78 per cent, and this is indicative of the huge potential the market holds for us. Many overseas markets have penetration rates at around 130 per cent. Hence, we see huge scope to widen the market further through innovative product launches and value-adds,” Singh said.

Aircel has operations in 11 telecom circles, which include the states of Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Orissa, Assam and Kerala.